


It Runs In the Blood

by FanfictionForYou



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012), teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: A Hero Lives in All of Us, AU, F/M, M/M, Main original character, Teen Wolf Season 1 and 2 spoilers, True Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-31
Updated: 2012-09-03
Packaged: 2017-11-11 02:38:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 28,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/473559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanfictionForYou/pseuds/FanfictionForYou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>16 years ago, Doctor David Maxwell lied about Alexander Stark's brother dying with their mother.  Now, sixteen years later Jackson Whittemore and Alex learn that they're not as alone as they thought they were.</p><p>Or, the one where Jackson is the half brother of Tony Stark's son, Alex.  And Alex will do anything to protect the brother that he thought he lost sixteen years ago.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mikey

**Author's Note:**

> Peter never came back from the dead in this.

The little boy sat there kicking his legs back and forth.  At six; his feet didn’t quite touch the ground from where he was perched in the hospital’s waiting chair.  He and his baby sitter’s parents had been there for so long already.  They had woken him up out of bed and gotten him dressed to take to the hospital.

His mommy and step-daddy had been in a car accident.

His daddy had been called and was already on a plane from New York.  It was a superfast plane so it would land soon.  It had already been four hours.

He had been sitting here for four hours.

Where was his mommy?  Was his baby brother okay?

“Alex!”

The little boy looked up at his father came running towards him.  He held up his arms and felt his daddy scoop him up.

“I got you now.  Everything is going to be okay.”

Tony Stark had never wanted to be a father.  Between the partying and the odd hours he kept at work; he just wouldn’t make a good father.  But he had met a beautiful woman and nine months later he had discovered that he was a father.

He had fallen in love the moment he saw his son’s blue eyes.

Still, he knew he couldn’t be a good father.  So when the boy’s mother fell in love with another man and wanted to move away to California and marry him; he hadn’t tried to get custody.  Alex would be better off without him in a full parent role.  He would just have to settle for the cool uncle role instead.

But now the boy’s mother and step father had been in a horrible car accident and had been expecting a child on top of it.

“Mr. Stark?”

Tony looked up to see a very tired looking man and woman.  “Our daughter babysits Alex.  We came with him when she got the news.”

Tony nodded.  “Thank you so much for watching over my son.  You and your husband should go home and get some sleep.”

The woman nodded and rested a comforting hand on Alex’s shoulder before walking away towards the exit of the hospital.

Tony sat down with Alex in his lap.  The little boy rested his head against his daddy’s chest and closed his eyes.  He didn’t want to fall asleep; but it was way past his bed time.  His eyes snapped open though when he heard someone addressing his daddy again.

“Are you Mr. Stark?”

Tony stood and shook the doctor’s hand.  “I am.  Is there any news?”

The doctor sighed softly.  “I’m afraid they were both DOA.”

Alex wanted to know what DOA meant, but he kept silent and looked up at his daddy.

“And the baby?”  Alex’s mother had been nearly nine months’ pregnant.  He knew the statistics.  If the child had been born that day; he had a good chance of survival.  With the car accident factored in…he wasn’t so sure.

The doctor shook his head slowly.  “I’m so sorry.”

Alex frowned and looked between the doctor and his father.  “Daddy?  What does DOA mean?  What happened to Mikey?”

Tony sat down heavily and buried his head in his son’s chest.

“I’m so sorry.  Mommy and Uncle Tommy and Mikey are in heaven.”

The little boy’s bottom lip quivered and hot tears began pouring down his face.

Tony’s first thought was to wonder how he could possibly take care of a six year old kid…but the thought was gone almost faster than it came as he began brushing away his son’s tears.

“It’s going to be okay Alex.  Daddy’s going to take care of you.”

Tony looked up briefly as a man and woman dressed in expensive clothes came running towards the nurse’s station in front of them.

“Mr. and Mrs. Whittemore?”  The man nodded.  The two seemed too excited to really say anything.  “Right this way.”

***  
  
The Whittemores were led down the halls towards the nursery where only one baby resided.  He had bright blue eyes and a shock of white blonde hair on the top of his head.  There was a bruise on his chest but the baby would be fine.

The doctor who had just delivered the news of the infant’s death smiled at the Whittemores before silently holding out his hand.  Mr. Whittemore pulled out a slip of paper and placed it into the doctor’s hand.

“Very good.  Come meet your new son.”

***  
  
 **Sixteen Years Later  
Beacon Hills, California**

He was free.  For the first time in so long his mind was his own.  There wasn’t that presence in the back of it; controlling him.  He wasn’t being forced to transform into a monster to kill people.  He was free.

Sure, a teenager had died for his freedom; but Matt had really had it coming.  The kid was insane.

Now he was free!  Or rather, not totally free.  The Kanima still resided inside of him and it still needed a master.  Somehow; Stiles Stilinski had ended up in that role.  Stilinski.

Jackson groaned as the connection formed at the very back of his head.  It wasn’t as intrusive as Matt’s presence had been.  Jackson was still in complete control of his own mind and body; but now he would have to deal with the hyperactive teen’s emotions flitting around the back of his mind like so many obnoxiously bright butterflies.

Still, better to have Stiles’ emotions than the dark ones that had filled Matt.

“Is this really necessary?  Couldn’t we have…I don’t know…bound me to Danny or something?  Or what about you Derek?  I mean, when you bit me you said I was ‘with you’.  Shouldn’t you have become my master?”

Derek simply glowered at Jackson before turning to Stiles when the teen let out a snort.

“Out of everyone here, I’m the least likely to send you off on a killing spree.”

That was partly because Scott and Boyd were currently absent.  Erica would probably accidently send Jackson out after whoever had posted the video of her having a seizure on YouTube and Isaac was a bit of an unknown at the moment.  While he had more control of his wolf than Erica or Boyd, that didn’t mean that he was as emotionally stable at the moment.

And Derek…well Derek was practically a rage monster.  It was possible that he would send Jackson out to kill the Argent’s in his sleep.

So, the job had fallen to Stiles who didn’t really want anyone dead.

Jackson watched as his new master walked over to him and slung an arm over his shoulder.

“Guess you’re stuck with me.”

Jackson looked up at the sky; silently begging whatever higher power that might exist to strike him down.

Whatever higher power existed simply laughed in Jackson’s face.

***  
  
 **Manhattan, New York City, New York  
Stark Tower**

_“Good Morning, Alex.  It’s time to start the day.”_

Alex groaned and turned over in his bed.  He pulled his pillow over his head and attempted to go back to sleep. 

_“I’m afraid I can’t allow you to return to sleep.  Your father has given me explicit instructions to ensure you are ready for the meeting and to give your first presentation.”_

“Jarvis.  Mute.”

The AI actually laughed.  _“I’m afraid that won’t work today.  You’re father has overridden your ability to mute me until after the presentation.”_

Alex groaned and jumped up at the sound of an air horn filling his room.

“I’M UP!”

Alex sat in bed for a moment, rubbing his face before heading into the bathroom.  He went about showering and shaving before simply looking at himself in the mirror.

Alex Stark didn’t look much like his father.  He had the same dark hair and the same nose; but other than that you couldn’t really tell that he was a stark.  For one, his skin was pail and smooth with a small amount of light freckles across his face.  His eyes were a stunning sky blue gray that his mother had and his lips were full and a light pink just as hers had been.

There were so many days when he would catch his father looking at him and knew that the man was thinking about how much he looked like his mother.

Though; for all he looked like his mother; he was undoubtedly male.  He had a slim athletic build filled with lean muscle and a six pack.  He stood at a respectable five foot eleven and never stopped smirking whenever his father had to look up at him.

He felt a sudden twinge in his heart as the image of his mother flashed before him.  It had been happening a lot recently.  He was about to give his first presentation to the leaders of Stark Industries on a new invention.  His mother would have been so proud.  He wished that she could have been here with him now.

He shook his head and walked out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist only to jump at the sight of a beautiful red head in his bedroom.

“Natasha!”

The spy smiled at him as she set out his suit on his bed.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Your father is worried that you might start acting as irresponsible as he is now that you’re about to give your first presentation for the company.  He asked me to work as your assistant today.  You’re notes are in your briefcase, along with a sample of the product.  Breakfast is waiting for you in the kitchen along with that coconut coffee that you insist on drinking.”

Alex smirked.  “America runs on Dunkin’s”

Natasha rolled her eyes.  “Anyway, it’s a spinach and Swiss omelet with dark rye toast and a fruit salad.  Luckily you live in the same building as the presentation so traffic won’t be a problem.  Now, get dressed; because your father said I could inflict bodily harm if you’re not prompt.”

He watched as the Black Widow walked out of his room.

“I love you too Natasha!”

It was a short time later that he was slipping into the kitchen and devouring his food.  A copy of his notes had been set beside him so that he could review before giving the big presentation.  His body tingled.  He couldn’t explain it.  Ever since he was little; his body would tingle before something big would happen.  It had tingled the day he had lost his mother, Tom, and Michael.

“Are you okay?”

Alex hadn’t even noticed that he had stood and that Natasha was fixing his tie.

“It’s probably just jitters.  I used to hate giving oral presentations in school and this one has so much more weight to it than the pros and cons Stark Industries no longer making weapons.”

“You really did a paper on that?”

Alex snorted.

“It was more than a paper.  I brought in a holographic projector and turned it into an experience.”

Natasha smiled softly.  “You’ll do fine Alex.  Just remember to breathe.”

***  
  
Alex was pretty sure that the guy sitting next to his father was the Mayor of New York City; and that the guy beside him was the police chief.  He had thought that this presentation would only be in front of members of the company.  It was supposed to be like a dry run.  He had not been expecting this.  He gulped and fixed his tie before pressing a button on the holo-projector to help start his presentation.

“The Nemean Lion.  It’s a fierce monster in Greek mythology that hailed from Nemea.  Mortal weapons could not harm it as its fur and skin were impervious to attack and its claws were said to be like sharp swords that could cut through any armor.”

The images floating in the air were of various depictions of the lion.

“In the end, only the strength of Hercules could stop the beast.  This got me thinking.  What if there was a fabric that had the same strength as the fur and skin of the Nemean Lion?”

The images changed to video of Alex working in his lab.

“It would be an amazing asset to the armed forces and law enforcement.  Imagine uniforms that looked and felt just like normal cloth; but had the strength to withstand bullets and knives.  Well, now that dream has been made reality.”

The video showed him creating a long stretch of cloth and having it held at the four corners.  The cloth was shot at with various calibers of guns without taking any damage.  From there it was tested with various sharp knives, swords, and even chain saws and round saws.  Nothing was able to penetrate or harm the fabric.

“Through my tests, I discovered that the only way to actually cause the fabric any harm; was to use a powerful laser to cut it and put holes in it for the purpose of sowing.  The fabric remains easy to dye so that it can take on any color that normal cloth can.  It’s light weight and breathes; though it’s thin; so it would be best to be worn under warmer clothes during the colder months.  But everything I threw at it…it resisted.  I happen to have a few samples here.”

Alex opened his briefcase and pulled out two versions of the cloth.  The first was like cotton and the second was like denim.

The cloth went around the table and someone even tried cutting it with scissors but to no avail.  His father even pulled out a pocket knife and tried it against the fabric.  It was his first time seeing his son’s first big invention.

“It sure is damn strong.  But how do we know that it will protect against bullets?”

Alex cleared his throat before looking across the room at Natasha who pulled out a gun.  She pointed it at Alex and began shooting.  She went through an entire clip but there wasn’t as much as a mark on Alex.  She came around the table with a sharp knife and went for Alex’s gut but the knife came back bent and useless.

“Did I mention that the fabric can be used in a corporate setting as well?  My entire suit is made from the fabric; even my tie.  It can be made to feel and look like any fabric; even silk.  Any questions?”

People were up and out of their seats in an instant; hands running over Alex’s suit.  One person even asked him to pull up his shirt to see the damage that may have been caused beneath.  Alex’s body was completely unharmed.  He didn’t even have a single bruise forming.

He looked over at his father and couldn’t help but smile at the shit eating grin that graced his father’s face.

***  
  
Alex was exhausted by the time he got back to his floor at Stark Tower.  After the presentation; his father had wanted to go out and celebrate.  It had started off as simply going to a restaurant for lunch; but had ended up with paparazzi and hot women following them around everywhere.

Of course, they had been out so long that they had then gone to eat dinner and have drinks…now it was after midnight and Alex just wanted to sleep.

_“Alex…I think you’ll want to see the news segment I taped for you.”_

Alex had just let himself drop onto the couch when Jarvis spoke up.

“Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”

_“No, I don’t believe it can.”_

Alex groaned.  “Play it.”

The wall opened up to reveal a large TV.  The TV turned on and the segment began.

**“Doctor David Maxwell was arrested today for one of the most disturbing forms of human trafficking.  Maxwell is convicted of telling parents and families alike that their newborns have died before selling the newborns to couples who are looking to adopt.  Maxwell is suspected of stealing children from the following hospitals where he worked.”**

Alex’s eyes grew wide when he saw ‘Beacon Hills 1992 – 1996’

He knew the name of Doctor David Maxwell.

“Jarvis…does this mean…that Mikey…”

_“Yes, there is a chance that your brother may still be alive.”_

“Send this video to my father along with a message from me.  Tell him I’m going back to Beacon Hills to look into the chance that Mikey is still alive.  Also; I need you to send word to have the plane readied.”

_“Are you sure that you don’t want to sleep first?”_

“I’ve spent sixteen years believing that he’s dead.  If there is even the slightest chance that he’s alive…”

_“Very well.  The notification has been sent to your father and the plane should be ready in an hour.  I’ll have the car brought around for you.”_

“Jarvis…thank you.”

_“What is family for?”_

“I would hug you if you had a body.”

Alex felt newly energized as he jumped to his feet and began packing his bags.  It wasn’t until he was done that he remembered that he would need to book a hotel.

_“Conformation has just come in from the Blackberry Inn that you will be staying with them.  It’s the best hotel in Beacon Hills and has five star ratings from everyone that has stayed there.  Now, do try to get some sleep on the plane.”_

“I can’t make any promises.”

The truth was that he probably wouldn’t get any sleep on the plane.  He would be too busy looking for any trace that Mikey may still be alive.

He had to be alive.

He felt it in his gut and his skin hadn’t stopped tingling all day.


	2. Brother

Jackson was tired by the time he got home.  He figured that it was probably because of Stiles’ up and down emotions constantly running through the back of his head.  Maybe it was just because he hadn’t really had the best sleep as of late due to Matt constantly demanding him to kill people.  He wanted to do nothing more than shower and collapse into his bed.

His plans were stopped when his mother and father greeted him when he entered the kitchen to grab something to drink.  They both looked worried.

“Is something wrong?  Is it Gran?”

His father’s mother had been sick for a few weeks now.

“No Jackson.  I think you should sit down.”

Jackson held in his groan as he moved to sit at the table with his parents.  “Okay, what is it?”

His parents looked at one another before his mother burst into silent tears.  His father took her hand to try and comfort her before speaking.

“Doctor Maxwell has been arrested.”

Jackson frowned.  He knew that Doctor Maxwell was the doctor that had saved him when he was a baby.

“Why?”

“Human trafficking.  He…he would tell parents and families that their baby hadn’t made it.  Then he would ask couples desperate for a child to pay him to adopt.  Jackson…there is a chance…that you have family out there.”

Jackson felt cold.  All these years he had wanted…

All of his pain came from the knowledge that he had lived when his birth parents had died.  He shouldn’t have survived.  He had been pulled from his dead mother’s body.  Yet here he was…alive…while they were dead.  There had been no aunts or uncles or grandparents to take him in.  He had no blood family at all.  But what if there was blood family.  What if?

“How do we find out if I have family?”

His mother burst into more tears at his words and he felt a pang of guilt.

“That isn’t what I meant.  It’s just…”

“We know.  Blood is important.  You don’t have to explain.  I’ll be going through files in the morning to see if you have any family.”

***  
  
It was so late, and going through time zones was going to wreck Alex’s sleep schedule…not that he really had one.  He was a lot like his father in keeping odd hours.  He could stay up nearly twenty four hours or more if he got an idea going in his head; though he didn’t do the partying that his father did.

Okay…that was a bit of a lie.  He had spent six months partying when he turned twenty one; but it wasn’t really his scene.  His father told him that he took after his mother in the respect that he preferred a quiet night at home.

He had already been in the air for two hours and he wasn’t finding anything on the computers to tell him about Mikey possibly still being alive.  It wasn’t like he really expected it to be on the computers anyway.  Someone like Maxwell wouldn’t have put his dirty dealings into the hospital computer system.

He set his tablet down and let his eyes fall closed.  He didn’t even know that he had fallen asleep until the pilot was shaking him to let him know that they had landed.

***  
  
The Blackberry Inn was aptly named.  Thick blackberry bushes formed a small orchard in the few acres behind the Inn.  They used the fruit in their cooking and even in some of their house wines.  It was an adorable little Inn and they were kind enough to stay open to the early morning hours when Alex finally arrived.

His room consisted of a living room, bed room, and bathroom.  The second he fell to the bed; he was fast asleep.  He didn’t even take the time to get undressed.

***  
  
Mr. Whittemore looked through the papers that Beacon Hills General had been forced to relinquish to him.  It was information on every case that David Maxwell had ever worked.  There were a lot of folders he had to go through and they weren’t in any form of order.  It would take forever to find the file that he needed for his son.

***  
  
Shot down.

  1. Whittemore had adopted his son through Maxwell.



It took him an hour to find Whittemore’s offices and another hour before he was allowed into the man’s offices.

“What can I do for you Mister Stark?  I’m a bit busy today.”

Alex looked at all of the boxes in the room and whistled.  “I can see that.  But you seem to have a few…files that I need.”

Whittemore looked up with a frown.  “What do you mean?”

“Sixteen years ago, my mother and step father died in a car accident.  My mother was nine months pregnant at the time.  Maxwell told me that my brother hadn’t made it.  In light of recent events…it seemed important that I return to town and search his files for the truth.”

Whittemore froze in his fiddling with the papers and finally looked at the boy before him.  He ‘really’ looked at him and his eyes grew wide.  Those were his son’s eyes.  Hell.  That was his son’s mouth.

“W…when would your brother had been born, Mr. Stark?”

“June fifteenth.”

Whittemore gulped.

“And his mother’s name?”

“Margaret Miller”

Whittemore set down the file he was holding and laughed softly.

“Your brother…is my son.”

Alex sat down heavily; his breath coming out in a heavy rush.  Could this possibly be true?  Was this man’s son his brother?  Mr. Whittemore turned around a photograph that was on his desk; showing a picture of the family.  Alex reached forward and took the photo, his heart pounding in his chest as he looked at the boy in the photo.  They had the same eyes and the same mouth…and the boy looked so much like his mother.  A single tear slid down Alex’s face and landed on the glass.

“I want to see him.”

“He wants to see you.”

***  
  
It was a Friday and there was no Lacrosse practice that afternoon.  Jackson had never been so thankful.  He hadn’t slept well the night before.  How could he when there was a chance that he had family out there?

Danny had asked him why he had kept looking at the clock every few seconds and Stiles and Scott had cornered him in the hall to ask him what was wrong.  It was like they thought that they were best friends now that Stilinski was his master.

He had refused to tell anyone what was wrong.  He was still trying to process it himself.

He had always felt like there was something else.  After learning that he was adopted; he would often imagine having an older brother out there searching for him.  Then he would imagine what it would be like if his brother was there with him and they had grown up together.

Now that was a possibility. 

At the very least he may have aunts or uncles or cousins.  There could be _someone_ that shared his blood out there.

He frowned when he heard laughing and an unfamiliar voice coming from the kitchen.  It sounded like his father was home; but his father always worked until at least five.  It was only three thirty now.

“And he cooks too.  What a wonderful boy.”  He heard his mother laugh after speaking to someone and the amazing scent of food filled his senses.

“Well, my dad isn’t really that good when it comes to cooking.  If I didn’t want take out or frozen dinners then I needed to learn how to cook.  My aunt Pepper taught me.”

“Pepper…is she…”

“No.  She’s really my father’s…or she was my father’s assistant.  Now she’s the CEO of the company.”

When Jackson entered the kitchen he noticed how his parents were sitting at the kitchen island while watching some young man cooking and drinking a glass of wine.  His mother had a sort of sad smile on her face.

“What’s going on?”

He watched as the unknown man’s shoulders grew tense and watched as his parents whipped around.  The man set his glass of wine down before turning to look at him.  Jackson gasped at the eyes that looked back at him.  They were the same blue gray as his own.

“Jackson.  This is Alexander Stark.”

Jackson gave a small nod at Alex before looking back at his father with furrowed eyebrows.

“He’s your brother Jackson.”

Jackson’s knees felt week.  He stumbled forward and sat down heavily at one of the bar stools at the island and gulped.

Alex had busied himself with taking the food off of the heat before serving it up on three plates in front of him and his parents.  Alex looked just as nervous as Jackson felt.

“We just…found out yesterday.  How is it that he’s here now?  That we found him so fast?”

His parents took their plates and moved to the table to leave the brother’s to speak.  Alex moved to sit beside Jackson.  Jackson looked down at the plate of stir fry in front of him.

“My…butler…copied a news report about David Maxwell.  I was at the hospital that night…I was there for four hours until my father arrived from New York and they finally gave the news that our mother and your father had died.  Maxwell told my father and I that you hadn’t made it.  When I learned that there was a chance…”

Alex gulped.  “When I learned that you might be alive…I flew out here.  I didn’t care that it was the middle of the night.  I had to find you.”

Alex reached out a shaky hand and rested it on Jackson’s cheek.  Jackson tensed before turning slightly and resting his hand on top of Alex’s hand.  A sudden growl from his stomach broke the moment and caused them both to laugh.  “Eat.  We can talk later.  We have all weekend.”

Jackson gave a small, genuine smile before turning to the food in front of him and digging in.  So many thoughts were racing through his mind that he wondered if he would ever be able to settle on one thought again.

 


	3. Getting To Know You

The first few hours had been awkward for the brothers.  Both wanted nothing more than to grasp the other and hold on for dear life; but neither was willing to risk being pushed away.  Of course, Jackson’s parents were ecstatic to know that Jackson shared blood with the son of the infamous Tony Stark; but what really made them happy was how their son seemed to change before their very eyes.  Tense shoulders seemed to loosen and hard eyes softened…until the photo albums came out.

Now a permanent blush was stuck on Jackson’s face as his mother huddled close to Alex and gave commentary on every one of the pictures of little Jackson.

“And here is Jackson taking a bath with Danny.  The two of them have been best friends since they were three and met at day care.”

Alex burst into laughter.  “Look at that little tooshie.”  Alex turned at Jackson’s groan and rested a hand on his neck.  “Don’t worry so much Jackson.  You should see some of the pictures that dad and aunt Pepper snapped of me.  I was a very curious child and it resulted in some very comical candids.  Maybe this summer your parents will let you come to New York.”

Jackson’s parents looked at one another for a moment before nodding.  Jackson’s face lit up again.

***  
  
 **Saturday**

Alex had gotten back to the Inn late that night.  He had been so busy making plans with Jackson for the weekend that he hadn’t returned until midnight.  It was a ringing phone that woke him up.  He reached over to his night stand and grabbed it before looking at the image of his father on the screen before answering.

“Mm, Dad?”

“Did I wake you up?”

“Yea, but its okay.  It’s just the time difference.  I’m a Stark.  I’m used to odd hours.”

His father laughed softly.  “So, is there any news on Michael?”

A grin came to Alex’s face.  “I met him yesterday.  His name is Jackson Whittemore.  He’s co-captain of his school’s lacrosse team and captain of the swim team.”

“You met him?  Did you get a picture?  What is he like?”

“I was only with him for a few hours so I don’t really know much about the type of person he is yet.  He seemed a bit overwhelmed but the family had heard about Maxwell’s arrest as well and his father was looking for possible family.”  He had pulled the phone from his ear and put it on speaker while he went through the few pictures he had taken of Jackson the night before and sent the best off to his father.

“I’m spending the weekend with him.  It’s actually good that you called because I need to get ready for breakfast with him.”

Alex stretched in his bed before standing up and picking out his clothes for the day while listening to his father asking a thousand questions about Jackson.

***  
  


Jackson had woken up early and woken up Danny with a phone call as he began picking out what to wear for the day.  Danny answered the phone on the fifth ring; showing that he had been asleep.

“Jackson…it’s seven in the morning on a Saturday.  Why are you calling me?”

“I have a brother.”

He hadn’t meant to throw it at Danny in such a way; but it had just burst out.

“Your mom is pregnant?  I thought she couldn’t get pregnant.”

Jackson shook his head before realizing that Danny couldn’t see it.

“No.  It turns out that the doctor that delivered me was a scam artist or something.  He told my half-brother and his father that I hadn’t survived.  Doctor Maxwell was arrested the other day and his files were opened for review to see who he might have stolen children from.  It turns out that I was one of those kids.  Alex is twenty two.  He showed up yesterday.  He’s awesome Danny.  He’s a super genius and get this…he’s the son of Tony Stark.”

“Tony Stark?  You mean…the Iron Man?”

“Yea.”

“So your brother is Alexander Stark.”

“Yes.”

“Oh my god.  Your brother is so hot!  Did you know that he was part of the No H8 campaign?  He did a bit of modeling as well; and his first invention has just been accepted by Stark Industries and will be going into production soon.”

“I know about the Nemean cloth but I didn’t know about the modeling.  Wait.  You think my brother is hot?”

“This just got awkward, didn’t it?”

“A little bit.  Anyway I’m spending the day with him and I have no idea what I should wear.”

Danny snorted on the other line.  “It’s a day out with your brother, not a date.”

“My brother is heir to a multibillion dollar corporation.”

“He’s your brother.  I’m guessing he’ll want you to dress like yourself and not ‘to impress’.  Just be yourself Jackson.  I mean…the you that you are when it’s just us.  Not the you that you are when we’re in front of a bunch of people and you’re a douche.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Danny hung up and Jackson laughed softly before heading into the shower to get ready.

At seven thirty there was a knock on the front door of the Whittemore home.  Jackson’s parents were still asleep; but Jackson had been waiting in the kitchen for the knock.  He jumped up and was at the door in a matter of seconds and opening it to reveal Alex who was dressed in casual clothes just as he was.

“You ready to go kiddo?  The Inn has some killer breakfast.”

Jackson smiled brightly and followed his brother to the rental car.  It wasn’t a long drive to the Inn, and Alex had been right.

The Inn had these pancakes that had caramelized brown sugar and walnuts on one side.  Jackson was in heaven from the very first bite.  It was like eating dessert for breakfast and he probably would have gone into a diabetic coma from all of the sweet if he hadn’t gotten some of the most amazing hash browns to go with it.

Alex sat across from him eating the same thing and sipping on a cup of coffee.

“So, you wanted to show me the town today.  What are we going to see?”

Jackson licked some sugar from his lips and took a sip of his own coffee before replying.  “I was thinking we could do a general drive through of the town and stop at the school.  They’re starting to have farmers markets there now that the weather is getting a bit warmer.  One of the vendors has some awesome bread.  Then I was thinking we could do some bowling or take a hike in the preserve.”

The hike probably wasn’t the safest choice given the fact that the hunters were always looking for the wolves wondering there; but more people were starting to go during the day because of the warmth.

“A hike sounds good.  We could get some of that bread and some other things and have a picnic for lunch.  Mom and I…”  Alex’s jaw clenched a bit.  “Mom and I used to go on picnics all the time.  We were having a picnic when she told me I was going to be a big brother.  It would be nice to have one with you.”

Jackson smiled softly.  “That sounds great to me.”

The drive through town took a while.  Jackson had taken over driving the rental car and was pointing things out to Alex.  Sure; Alex still remembered bits and pieces of the town; but he had been so young at the time that he didn’t really remember much of it.  Of course, what he could remember had changed greatly in the past sixteen years.  For one, his favorite bakery had closed a few years back due to the owner passing away and their kids not having the talent needed to make such amazing pastries.

By noon they had arrived at the school where tents were set up on the lacrosse field to cover the vendors.  There were many people walking around and buying products.  Luckily they had stopped at a small store before arriving and gotten a basket for what they were going to have on their picnic.

Jackson led the way through the stands so that they were looking at the stand that was selling the amazing breads that Jackson had spoken about. 

“Apple Pie bread?”

“It’s really good.  It has apples cooked into the bottom.”

“Sounds good.  We’ll take two please.”  Alex handed over the money and let Jackson lead him through the stands so that they could buy various things to eat.  Another stop at a grocery store finished off what they would need for their little picnic.  Then it was off to the preserve.

****  
  


“Are you sure this is a good idea?  What if we run into the hunters?”  Boyd shoved a piece of beef jerky into his mouth after he finished speaking.

Derek had decided on a pack outing.  His pups were inside way too much and the weather was finally getting nice.

“We don’t have to worry about it right now.  The preserve is filled with hikers right now and the hunters wouldn’t be stupid enough to try hunting us there during the day anyway.  It’s too risky for them.”

Isaac reached into the bag of jerky and bit into the piece of meat as they walked; only to have the piece stolen from his hand by Erica after he had taken the bite.

“Hey!”

“Stop fighting or I’ll force you to hunt for your food.”

Isaac had to hold back a pout.  Holding it back didn’t last long because he was suddenly bumping into his alpha’s back.

“What’s up?  Why did we stop?”

They had arrived at the small pond and there was Jackson with some guy; having a picnic.

“Who’s that?”

“I have no idea.  Let’s find out.”

***  
  
It was the same lake that Jackson had bathed in to wash away his humanity after the bite.  It was a beautiful spot; even if he hadn’t exactly become a werewolf after bathing in these waters like he had hoped that he would.

It was nice being here with his brother though.

Jackson took a bite out of his sandwich while looking out over the water.  He watched as his brother tossed a small piece of bread into the water as a duck swam by.

“What was it like growing up in New York?”

Alex turned to look at his brother and shrugged.

“It was a lot different than growing up in a place like this.  I can tell you that much.  There is always something to do.  There are museums and street artists, and the theater.  Then there was the school I went to.”  He snorted.  “I had to wear a uniform and for two years my uniform didn’t fit because they didn’t come in my size.  That was because of skipping so many grades though.  But overall New York is an amazing place.  You’ll love it when I take you there this summer.  We’ll go see a Broadway play and check out the museums.  Of course you’ll be staying in Stark Tower during your stay; so there is always the chance that you might run into one of the Avengers.”

Jackson’s eyes lit up at the thought.  “Captain America is awesome.  I’ve loved him since I was a little kid.”

“He’s a great guy.  I’ll make sure that you get to meet him.”

Alex had finished his sandwich and was now biting into the apple pie bread.  He moaned as some of the apple exploded over his taste buds.  He was just licking the last of the bread from his fingers when his brother’s shoulders tensed.

“Jackson?  Are you okay?”

Jackson turned his head to look behind them and Alex raised an eyebrow at the four people walking towards them.

The clear leader looked to be a few years older than Alex was and he was followed by a black teen holding a bag of beef jerky, a fierce looking blond girl that looked like she could be a contender for Black Widow’s apprentice; and a shy looking tall kid with curly dirty blonde hair.  Alex frowned lightly at the last one.

“Jackson.  We didn’t expect to see you here today.”

Jackson stood and put himself between Derek and Alex.

“Who is your friend?”

Jackson didn’t want to answer.  He didn’t want Derek to do anything to his brother…like turn him.  Alex stood and rested a hand on his brother’s shoulder before stepping slightly in front of his brother.

“I’m Jackson’s brother.  Alex.”

Derek’s eyebrows rose.  “His brother?”

“Oh my god!  You had Doctor Maxwell didn’t you?  Oh I’m so sorry Jackson.  May that asshat rot in hell.”  The girl stepped forward and looked apologetic.  The boys in her group looked at her with confusion.

“Doctor David Maxwell.  He worked in the maternity ward when Jackson was born.  He’s recently been arrested for telling families that their baby had died and then selling the baby to desperate couples.”

Alex squeezed Jackson’s arm lightly.

“I came back to Beacon Hills the moment I realized that there was a chance my brother might be alive.  Now I’m here and I’ll be protecting him like I should have been doing from the start.”

The last sentence was directed at Derek; who Alex clearly saw as the bigger threat.  Derek took a step forward; and Alex did the same, now standing completely in front of his brother.  Jackson reached out suddenly and tugged his brother back a bit.

“Don’t.  They’re friends I just…didn’t want to share you yet.”

Alex relaxed and let out a small sigh before turning back.  “I apologize.  A lot of instincts seem to be rushing to me lately.”

Derek smiled softly and shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket.  This one had stood up to him without flinching.  He would make a good wolf…not that he would even let the man know what they were.  “It’s understandable.  Family is important.  I would act the same way if I had a younger sibling and I thought someone was threatening him.  I’m Derek.  The big one eating the jerky is Boyd.  The girl is Erica, and the one hanging back is Isaac.”

Isaac gave a small wave but stayed back several feet.  He blushed lightly when Alex gave him a bright smile.  Erica caught the blush and gave a small smirk before moving to grab Derek’s arm with both of her hands.

“Well, seeing as you two have just met and are clearly getting to know one another; we’ll go.  See you guys around.”

Derek frowned as he looked at Erica but gave in.  He wanted to know more about the man that was his pack mate’s brother…even if said pack mate was a Kanima instead of a wolf.

When they were a far enough distance away, Derek growled.

“I’m the alpha.  I decide when we go.”

“Well excuse me Mr. Big Bad Alpha but the two clearly need more time to get to know one another.  They’re brothers who didn’t even know the other existed for sixteen years.  Besides, Isaac was on his way to turning into a tomato.”

Isaac’s blush started up again; causing Derek to grown.  Isaac had gotten more confident since the bite so why was he so shy all of a sudden.

“Isaac?  What’s wrong with you?”

Isaac shrugged.  “He smells good.  Like…really good.”

Derek…was fucked.


	4. New Home

**Sunday**

“I think it’s important that I have a residence here in Beacon Hills.”

It was early Sunday morning and Alex was sitting at the kitchen table with the Whittemores eating breakfast with his new extended family.  Jackson looked up with his scrambled eggs halfway to his mouth and his mouth hanging open in preparation for the bite.

“Why?  What about New York?  What about your dad?”

Alex shrugged.

“I can still go back to New York whenever I want and my father is always busy between work and being Iron Man.  But I think I should be here.  You’re here.  You’ll be here for at least another year before going off to college and I imagine that you would come back because friends and family are here.”  By family he meant the Whittemores.

“Besides, I could sell at any time.  But I plan on being here for a while and I don’t want to intrude here and I don’t want to live at the Inn.  I don’t think the other guests would take to me experimenting in my room and there really isn’t enough room for that anyway.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea, honey.”  Mrs. Whittemore smiled at Alex who smiled back.  “Have you looked at any places yet?”

“I checked online last night.  Several of the locations I was thinking about are having open houses today.  I was hoping that Jackson would agree to going with me and helping me choose a home.”

Jackson smiled.  “I would love to!”

***  
  
The first house was a tiny place with a lot of work that needed to be done.  It was surrounded by other homes that were far too close and there was almost no yard at all.  The brothers looked at one another and didn’t even get out of the car before driving off.  There was no way he could get away with all of his experiments.  There would be so many noise complaints.

The second place had two acres of land and had a pool.  It looked good from the outside but the inside would require all new paint and carpets and the kitchen would have to be redone.  It also seemed much smaller on the inside than on the outside.

The third house was set in a two acre field with an additional ten acres of forested property.  It was a large house and was built only three years before.  The kitchen was amazing.  It had granite counter tops and all of the paint and carpets were new.  There was even hard wood flooring in the kitchen and dining room.

It had three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms.  It had a living room, a media room, a dining room, an office, a walk in closet for the master bedroom and an amazing shower for the master bathroom.  There was a three car garage and also a refinished basement that could easily be turned into a lab.  There was also a pool and a back garden that would be perfect for cook outs.

This was it.  It was secluded so there was no one around to launch noise complaints.  Jackson had already picked out which of the other rooms that would be his bedroom.  Alex signed the papers that night.  Next weekend he and Jackson would go and pick out furniture and other things for the house.

The brothers were happy getting to know one another; but things wouldn’t be so calm for long.

***  
  
 **Two Weeks Later**

Alex and Jackson fell side by side on the new couch in the new living room of Alex’s new house.  The previous weeks Alex had been working on creating his lab in the basement area while Jackson was at work.  They had just spent the day unpacking various house hold supplies like dishes and food and even decorating the rooms.

Somehow they had gotten it all done in one day.  A knock on the door had Alex groaning before getting up and going to the door where he signed for a large box and dragged it into the living room before opening it up.

“What’s this?”

“I had some things shipped here from New York.  These are the things that I kept after leaving Beacon Hills the first time.  There are some videos which I had converted to DVD and some photo albums…and this…”

On the top of the box was a pristine stuffed wolf.  Alex smiled at it softly.

“Dad gave me some money to buy you a gift for your birth.  I had this big thing for wolves when I was a little kid and I thought it would be cool for your favorite stuffed animal to be a wolf.  I couldn’t let go of it after I left town.  I kept it safe and untouched all these years.”

He moved over to Jackson and held out the stuffed wolf with vibrant blue eyes.  Jackson smiled at it and took it into his hands.  He found it funny that his brother would buy him a stuffed wolf only for Jackson to ask a werewolf to bite him sixteen years later.

They sat there relaxing for an hour and it was getting dark but the relief of having everything put together had both of them getting excited and energized again.

“Hey.  Why don’t you call your friends and have them come over for pizza.”

Jackson smiled at the idea and pulled out his phone.  He invited Danny first followed by Stiles because the master bond compelled him to invite the teen.  Because Stiles had been invited; it meant that Scott and Allison were invited too; which meant that Lydia was invited.  Then on impulse he invited Derek and his pack.  He figured that they would decline but was surprised when Derek agreed that they would be coming over.

While Jackson was inviting people over; Alex began ordering a bunch of different pizzas and various odds and ends.

The wolves, Stiles, Allison, and Danny arrived within twenty minutes.  Stiles was in awe of the house as he looked around.

“This is so cool but…why are we here and not at your place?”

Jackson winced.  Stiles, Scott, Allison, and Lydia still didn’t know about Alex.

“Yea, about that.  This is my brother’s new place.”

Lydia frowned.  “What brother.  If you had a brother I would know about it.”  She pointed a finger at Jackson and gave him the stink eye.

“I’ve only known him for two weeks.  Turns out that the doctor that delivered me was a criminal who told families their baby had died and then sold the baby to couples looking to adopt.”

Danny and Stiles had discovered the amazing entertainment system complete with PS3, Xbox360 and Wii.  There was a shelf filled with a bunch of games for each.  Stiles made grabby hands and had to be held back by Danny.

“And how exactly can your brother afford this place?  How old is he?  What’s his name?  Where is he?”

“Jesus Lydia, I didn’t realize that this would be a game of twenty questions.  He’s twenty two and he can afford this place because he’s Alexander Stark, son of Tony Stark.”

Stiles’ head whipped away from the game system to look at Jackson.  His eyes were wide.  “Seriously?  He’s the son of Tony Stark?  Like…Stark Industries slash Iron Man?  That Tony Stark?”

“Yes.”

Lydia’s eyes lit up with delight.  She pulled her compact out and checked her makeup like she was getting ready to snag herself a future husband.

“As for where he is; he’s out getting the pizza.  It was too big of an order and too far away for delivery.”

“So, where is his lab?”

Jackson’s eye twitched.  “Why would you want to know about his lab?”

Lydia tossed her hair back.  “Jackson.  I’m a genius in my own right.  It’s something you wouldn’t understand.”

Jackson’s eye twitched again.  He was about to go Kanima on her before the door burst open and Alex entered carrying several boxes in one hand.

“There are still more boxes and some bags in the car, Jackson.”

He hadn’t seen that everyone was there already.  Alex remained oblivious as he entered the kitchen.  Jackson took a deep breath before heading out to the car, Isaac close behind him.  Together; the two grabbed the last of the food and set it out on the counter.  Alex looked up when he finally noticed Isaac and gave a bright smile. 

“Isaac.  I’m glad you could come.”

Isaac blushed and gave a small wave before bowing his head to hide the blush.  This caused Alex to smile some more.  He couldn’t help it.  The kid was kind of adorable in an awkward sort of way.

Jackson looked between the two before raising one perfect eyebrow and heading to grab a bunch of paper plates and plastic cups from one of the cupboards. 

“Well Isaac, seeing as you helped to bring in the food; I think you should be the first to dig in.”  Alex said this as he was opening up various pizza boxes and other cartons that held other things.  Isaac grinned and grabbed a couple of slices of Meat Lovers pizza, a few fried macaroni and cheese bites, and a couple of boneless hot wings before Alex called the rest of the group in to gather their food.

Derek raised an eyebrow as he noticed that Isaac was the first one eating.  His alpha side wanted to steal Isaac’s food as the alpha should be the first to eat; but he let it go and hopped into the impromptu line behind Stiles.

A short time later the group was gathered in the living room around the very large TV and watching some random show on TV.

“So Alex, what do you plan on doing while here in Beacon Hills?”  It was the first time that Isaac had actually spoken in Alex’s presence.

Alex could only shrug and take a sip of his drink.

“I’m not sure really.  I’m never sure what I’ll be doing.  I do want to continue getting to know Jackson better but other than that I don’t really know.  I suppose I’ll work on inventing things when the mood and muse strike.  Then of course there is the training.  Ever since dad got kidnapped and the birth of Iron Man he has insisted that I learn to defend myself.   Other than that; I have no idea.  I don’t need to work a normal nine to five.”

Alex took a bite of his pizza and frowned as the cheese kept stretching.  He finally ripped the bit of stretchy cheese off and shoved it into his mouth.

“What’s Thor like?  Is he as hot as he looks on TV?”

Alex nearly choked on the cheese in his throat as Erica asked about Thor.  He couched a few times and took a long gulp of his drink.  “Thor is…an interesting guy.  I find myself talking like some noble from ancient times when I’m around him.  My dad can’t help but laugh at it.  As for the ‘hot’ thing…I suppose that he is if you’re into that sort of thing.  He’s not exactly my type.”

“Because you’re straight”, Isaac almost sounded sad as he said it.  Alex snorted a bit and shook his head.

“No.  I’m not.  I’m bisexual I suppose.  I’ve had girlfriends and I’ve had boyfriends.  I haven’t had either in a while though.  Thor isn’t my type because for one…he’s freaking massive.  I’m afraid he would break me.  For two, I’m almost certain that he and Loki have gotten it on at least once.  And for three…he’s a bit too close to his hammer.  Not to mention he’s way too old for me.”

Isaac’s face stayed neutral but his eyes lit up at learning that Alex wasn’t straight.  He took in a deep sniff through his nose.

“Oh my god!  I love this part!  This is where Captain Jack Harkness comes back from the dead for the first time!”  Stiles seemed utterly excited about the current episode of Doctor Who.  “Hey, Alex…do you think that you could invent a TARDIS?  Or what about a sonic screwdriver?”

“I would rather not be sued by the BBC for trying to invent their creations…that doesn’t mean that I don’t have a K-9 back in New York.  Dad wouldn’t let me have a real dog.”

The rest of the night was filled with chatter, food, and drink.  No one noticed the presence waiting outside of the house.

***  
  
Gerard Argent looked up at the building where the wolves were currently socializing.  His eyes were narrowed as he caught sight of the human, Alex inside before narrowing on Stiles Stilinski.  The boy had gotten to Jackson before he could and become the Kanima master.  Alex was Jackson’s brother.  Both boys were a major threat to his plans for destroying the Hale pack.  Both would have to be taken out.  He would start with the boy.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be the beginning of our conflict.


	5. Die to Live

Stiles felt as if he was being watched.  It had started Monday when he had first entered the school.  A shiver had run up his spine as if someone had walked just over his grave.  The sensation was so strong that it caused a visible shiver to alert Scott to the fact that something was off.

“What is it?  Is something wrong?”  Scott looked up and down the halls as if expecting to find some form of evil bearing down on them.

“I don’t know, Scott.  It’s probably just my paranoia.”

“Since when are you paranoid?”

“I don’t know Scott, maybe since my best friend became a werewolf and one of the biggest douche bags at school became a giant freaking lizard.”

“I can hear you, you know.”

And speak of the devil.  Jackson placed a heavy hand on Stiles shoulder before frowning.  “But McCall is right.  You look utterly freaked.”

Stiles ran a hand over his face.  “It’s probably nothing.  Don’t think too heavily on it.”

Jackson frowned.  Stiles wasn’t his usually chatterbox self. 

On the wall, near the ceiling; a camera looked directly at Stiles and tracked his movement down the hall.

***  
  
On Tuesday; Mr. Harris decided to make Stiles’ life a living hell.  First the man went about humiliating him; and then he gave him a detention simply for the sake of giving him a detention.  Though; this wasn’t really anything new when it came to Mr. Harris.  Apparently the man was annoyed that he had been a suspect in the deaths that Matt had caused and had decided to take it out on the Sheriff’s son.

The bastard.

Stiles was pretty sure that Harris was the Devil, or at the very least Devil spawn.

He was supposed to have a video game marathon with Scott…not that Scott hadn’t bowed out at the last moment for an impromptu date with Allison.

Still, it was the principle of the matter.  And there was always the chance that he could go to Alex’s and have a video game marathon with him.

Stiles had his phone out beneath the desk and he was texting Scott.  When he didn’t get a reply; he began texting Jackson who also ignored him after sending a quick ‘Busy with Alex’.  Stiles totally understood ‘that’ snub because he would do the same thing if he found out that he had a long lost brother as cool as Alex.

He was so busy trying to find someone to talk to that he didn’t notice the door open or Gerard Argent stepping up behind him.

“Using a cell phone while in detention Mr. Stilinski?  You’ll have detention with me after school for the rest of the week.”

Stiles jumped when he heard the old hunter’s voice and nearly fell off of his stool.  Unfortunately; he overcompensated for the near tumble which caused an actual tumble where he hit his head on the desk behind him.  His vision went black for a split second before he groaned and rubbed the growing bump in the back.

“I expect to see you tomorrow after school, in my office.”

Then Argent smoothly turned and headed out of the class room.  Stiles stood and frowned at the bit of blood on his hand.

“Stilinski!  Go home.  I don’t want you bleeding all over my class room.”

***  
  
Stiles slipped into Gerard’s office Wednesday afternoon, only to find that the hunter was pulling on his jacket and gloves.  Stiles found this strange because A) Stiles had detention with the man so he really shouldn’t be going anywhere and B) it was warmer outside now so there wasn’t any need for gloves though a light jacket was acceptable given the chilly breeze that had been persisting all day.

“Out, Stilinski.  We’re going for a little drive.”

Stiles winced as Argent grabbed him by the back of the neck and began dragging him out to his car.

Stiles was shuffled into the back and slunk down in his seat before pulling out his cell phone.  He had a feeling that something bad was about to happen.  He sent off a quick text to Derek; not entirely sure why he had chosen the alpha.

**G Argent has me.  Entering Preserve.  SOS.**

He clicked send and was about to send out another message before Argent grabbed up his phone and tossed it out the window.  The man parked and manhandled Stiles out of the car before leading him deep into the woods.  It was about half an hour before Gerard pushed him hard and caused him to stumble down a hill and land into the freezing cold water of the little lake there.

Gerard was on him in an instant and pushing his head beneath the water.  Stiles struggled against the hold; but Gerard had him in a position that put him at a disadvantage.  Every time Stiles got any purchase to use against the man; his feet and hands would slip against the slick rocks at the bottom.

His vision began to blur around the edges and his body grew weak.  He could feel the connection to Jackson weakening…and then…nothing.  Everything was black and cold and empty before a blinding white light erupted in his vision and a beautiful voice reached his ears.

“Mom?”

****  
  


Jackson laughed as the invention that Alex was working on shot out a puff of black smoke into his face and caused it to become thick with soot.  Alex gagged on the ash before taking the towel that Jackson offered him.

“I probably should have cleaned out the filter before starting it up.  I am repurposing parts after all.”

Alex swished some water from a nearby water bottle before spitting it out in the trash can.  The water came out black.  He did it a couple of more times before the water ran clear before pouring some water on the towel and setting about cleaning his face off.  He looked up at the sudden pained intake of breath from his brother.

“Jackson?  Are you okay?”

He was beside the teen in an instant and holding him as he doubled over in pain.  Alex’s eyes grew wide as his brother’s skin grew scales and his eyes turned yellow and the pupils turned to slits.  It wasn’t long before a giant lizard was in his brother’s place.  The lizard pushed Alex back looking at him with a look of shame on his face.

“Jackson?”

Jackson fled, breaking through one of the glass windows on the first floor before Alex was even able to regain his composure and run after him.

“Jackson!”  He screamed out the front door but his brother was already gone and there was no sign of what direction he might have gone in.

***  
  
The message on his cell disturbed him.  He had wanted to ignore it at first because it was from Stiles; but a tingling in the back of his neck told him that he should look at it.  His heart ran cold at the message saying that Gerard Argent had him and that they were at the preserve.  It didn’t take long for him to begin speeding there in his car.  The speed made it look like nothing more than a black blur.

He made it to the preserve in record time and began sniffing Stiles out.

There were so many scents that it was overwhelming.  So many people had been coming here lately and there were several here already today.  Then there were all the animal scents to filter out.

And there it was.  It was like fresh air after a thunder storm and sun kissed strawberries with just a hint of chocolate and a dash of that spice that they use on those curly fries that Stiles loved so much.  His eyes began glowing red as he followed the scent.

He was like a phantom running through the forest.  If you blinked you would miss him and he was moving so fast that you wouldn’t be able to make out what he was anyway.

The scent brought him to the lake and a horrific image.  He held in a cry of despair as he saw Stiles body floating on the surface of the water.  The scent of death hadn’t set in yet.  There was still time.  He pulled the teen’s limp body from the water and onto dry land before beginning CPR.

Two breaths, fifteen chest compressions, repeat.  He went on an on until Stiles coughed up lungful of water.  Derek gently turned Stiles onto his side as more water came pouring out.  After a few moments, Stiles was taking in deep lungfuls of breath and shaking from the cold.  Derek didn’t even think as he ripped of his ever present leather jacket and wrapped it around the boy’s arms before pulling him to his chest.

“It’s okay.  I got you now.  I need you to talk to me Stiles.  Please talk to me and please for the love of God open up those pretty brown eyes.”

Stiles simply shivered for a moment before slowly opening his eyes.  “Y…y…you…t…think…m…my e…eyes a…are p…pretty.”

A bright smile broke out over Derek’s face.  Stiles was okay.  He pulled the teen closer before picking him up and beginning the hike to his car.  “I’m taking you to the hospital to make sure there is no permanent damage.”

Stiles remained quiet and curled closer against Derek’s warm chest.  He didn’t say anything else until the heater in Derek’s car had warmed him enough to allow him to speak without the stutter.

“Derek…did you give me CPR?”

Derek only nodded.

“So, that means that you kissed me.”

Derek shrugged.  “I suppose.”

Stiles groaned.  “I finally get kissed by the big hot alpha and I don’t even remember it.  Today sucks!”

“Just stay alive and maybe I’ll kiss you and you will remember it because it won’t be to save your life.”

Stiles’ eyes grew wide as he looked at Derek.  “Really?”

“Just…shut up Stiles.  We’re almost at the hospital.”

****  
  
It wasn’t hard to find the Kanima when it was on a hunt for a new master.   Gerard gave a dark smile as he looked at it.

“Well hello.  It must feel nice not being tied to that hyperactive moron any longer.  How would you like to serve a master who will put you to good use?”

The Kanima moved closer to Gerard who had put his hand out.  The Kanima sniffed it for a moment before placing his own hand against Gerard’s.  The connection slipped in place and the old man gave an evil laugh.

Now he just needed to take the boy’s brother out of the equation and he could freely use Jackson to kill the wolves of Beacon Hills.


	6. Hunters and Werewolves and Kanima.  OH MY!

Derek lay Stiles down on the hospital bed that Melissa McCall had instructed him to.  The teen’s eyes were filled with fear as they began wheeling him away with an oxygen mask over his face.

“No!”  It came out muffled from the mask.  “He’ll get me!  Derek!  Don’t leave me!”

“I’m right here Stiles.”  He took the teens hand and walked with the orderlies that were pushing Stiles into one of the hospital rooms.  Melissa had gone to the nurse’s station to call the kid’s father and a doctor had pushed Derek into the side of the room so that he could check Stiles’ vitals and his lungs.  There was still a bit of fluid in them; but Stiles would survive.  They would bring him to get a brain scan after the Sheriff arrived.

Stiles closed his eyes after the doctor left the room.  His breath created a fog on the plastic of the mask he was wearing.  He looked so pale and weak.  Derek reached out from where he was sitting beside the teen’s bed to take his hand.  The act caused Stiles’ eyes to open but he didn’t talk.

After another ten minutes; the Sheriff ran into the room and over to his son.  Stiles struggled to sit upright; and with Derek’s help he was able to.

“Hale?  What are you doing here?”

Derek was about to speak, but Stiles had removed his mask and was speaking.

“He saved my life dad.  I was dead.  I know I was…I saw mom.  Derek brought me back.”

The Sheriff turned to look at his son and had tears in his eyes as he looked at the teen.

“Stiles…what happened?”

“Gerard Argent.  He wanted to give me a private detention.  He took me to the preserve…he forced me to the lake…and he drowned me.  If I hadn’t sent Derek a text before Argent threw my phone out of the car…I would be dead right now.”

The Sheriff’s eyes grew dark.  He pulled his radio to his mouth and pushed the button that connected him to his office.

“Put an APB out on Gerard Argent for the attempted murder of my son.”

There was some crackling sounds over the radio before a conformation of the APB was given.

Then the orderlies where there again and wheeling Stiles away for a brain scan to tell them if there was any brain damage.

***  
  
He didn’t know what to do.  He had just seen his brother transform into a giant lizard and then go running out of the house.  He grabbed his jacket and zipped it up before heading to the front door.  He was shocked to see the lizard Jackson standing before him.

“Jackson.”

The lizard hissed and lashed out with his claws; aiming to rip into Alex’s flesh.  The claws hit a slight snag when they met the fabric of Alex’s coat.  Jackson looked shocked.  Alex pulled back quickly, only to run into the arms of Gerard Argent.

“This boy should have been dead.  Why isn’t he dead?”

Alex looked down at his jacket before being thrown into the glass coffee table by his brother.  He hissed in pain as his hand was cut open from the glass; blood splattering the carpet.  Jackson hissed and moved closer before painfully grabbing Alex’s arm and licking up the blood that dripped from his hand.

Jackson’s eyes flashed with some unknown emotion and he dropped Alex’s hand before jumping back in shock.  He hissed at Alex before turning to hiss at Gerard as well.

“What are you doing?!  I told you to kill him!”

Jackson hissed again before jumping towards Alex and curling his tail around his brother’s body protectively.

Gerard felt the connection snap like a twig in his mind.  The old man stumbled back as the Kanima continued to hiss at him.  Gerard snarled.  “You’ll die for this.  I’ll make you watch as your brother gasps for breath and then I’ll kill you and the wolves as well.”

Alex’s vision went black for only a moment as he worked to pull the glass from his hand and when his sight came back, Gerard was gone.  Alex pulled himself out of the glass and fell onto the couch as he looked at his brother.

“What just happened here?”

He watched as Jackson stood to his full height before catching his brother as he fell forward; his form slipping into human as he lost consciousness.  Alex’s blood was still staining Jackson’s lips.  He had absolutely no idea what was going on as he clutched his brother close to him.  He slowly pulled his brother to lie on the couch and left to patch up his cut hand.

The living room was left a mess.  There was glass everywhere and blood was staining the carpet.  A soft sigh fell from Alex’s lips as he held up a broom and dust pan.

“This is going to take a while.”

It did indeed take quite some time.  He first had to carefully remove the larger pieces of glass that had once belonged to the coffee table and put them in the trash before sweeping up the pieces that were too big for the vacuum cleaner and depositing those in the trash as well.  Finally, he vacuumed the last of the glass up and deposited that too into the trash.

Jackson was still out cold.  He walked over to his brother and took one of his hands into his good one.

“It’s going to be okay Jackson.  Whatever has happened is all going to be okay.  I’ll protect you…I promise.”

Alex was startled by the door slamming open and Scott McCall charging into the house.

“What the hell happened here?”

Scott noticed the blood stain on the floor and the stained bandage on Alex’s hand as well as the unconscious Jackson.

“He turned into a giant lizard…and he ran off only to come back with some creepy old man who ordered him to attack me.”

Scott gulped before moving closer to Alex and examining his hand.

“You didn’t really do a good job taking care of your hand.  Where is your first aid kit?”

“It’s in the kitchen; on top of the refrigerator.  Why are you not surprised by what I said?”

Scott didn’t say anything as he went into the kitchen. When he came back; he sat on the floor across from Alex and took his injured hand into his own.  He began fixing it up properly and even found a few more small pieces of glass that needed to be tweezed out.

“Well?  Are you going to answer my question?”

“Gerard Argent, our principal; took Stiles to the preserve and drowned him.  Derek arrived in time to revive him and the scans show that there is no brain damage.”

“Oh God.  He’s okay right?”

“He’ll be fine.  But look, there are some things you need to know.  We had all hoped that you could be kept out of this; especially Jackson, but you’re part of it now.”

“What is it Scott?”

“’It’ is werewolves and insane hunters.”

“Werewolves?  Last I heard, werewolves turned into wolves, not mini Godzillas.”

Scott took a deep breath and winced as Alex hissed as peroxide was poured onto his wound.

“I’m a werewolf.  Derek is too, he’s the alpha.  Isaac, Erica, and Boyd are werewolves too.  Derek turned them.  I was turned by the previous alpha.  There was a big fight. The previous alpha was killing people and Derek and I had to stop him.  Jackson found out what I was and demanded that Derek turn him.  It didn’t go so well though.  Sometimes a person’s character comes out in their second form.  Jackson wasn’t the best person before you showed up.  He was having so many problems because he was adopted and had no blood family; so the bite turned him into something else.  He’s called a Kanima.  Kanima have masters and they go about killing murderers.  His first master was a kid named Matt who had been drowned by the 2005 swim team and was revived by their coach.  Eventually we stopped Matt.  He had a gun and while Stiles was wrestling it away from him…it went off and he died.  Stiles became his second master and kept him from killing anyone.  That happened just before you showed up.  Gerard Argent found out and tried to kill Stiles.  Because Stiles’ heart stopped, Gerard was able to become Jackson’s master.”

Scott finished wrapping the bandage over Alex’s hand before looking at Jackson with a frown.

“The Argents are werewolf hunters.  The previous alpha killed Gerard’s daughter and now he sees it as being open season on all werewolves.  There is supposed to be a code.  Hunters are only supposed to kill the werewolves that kill humans…but Gerard and his daughter didn’t follow that.  Kate…she killed Derek’s family.  The only ones that survived were Derek, his sister and their uncle Peter.  Peter was so badly burned that he was unable to change or heal…until he lured Derek’s sister back here and killed her.  Then he killed everyone responsible for the fire that killed his family…and finally Derek killed him to stop him; but not before he killed Kate.”

It was a lot to take in; and though Alex’s mind recorded every single word; it would take some time to process.  He sat there with Scott for several minutes before looking at his brother.

“When my hand was cut open…he came over and licked the blood.  After that he refused to do what Gerard told him to.  He started protecting me.”

“I guess the Kanima didn’t want to kill the one thing that it’s human self always wanted.”

***  
  
It was midnight when the missing members of the pack found themselves in Alex’s living room.  Boyd cleared the broken framework of the coffee table away and Isaac had brought pizza from an all-night pizza parlor.  Isaac was resting against Alex’s side now.  Alex hadn’t said a word as they had come in and made his living room their own. 

His mind was focused on Jackson; and only Jackson.

Another hour passed and Boyd and Erica had curled up in front of the TV and fallen asleep; using one another as pillows.  Scott was asleep in the arm chair and Isaac’s head was using Alex’s lap as a pillow.  Alex’s fingers absentmindedly ran through his hair.

He had never expected any of this.

Slowly, his own eyes began to fall shut and sleep took him.

***  
  
Derek groaned as he slowly woke up from his awkward position of sleeping in the very uncomfortable hospital chair.  The Sheriff was in a similar state; though his chair had been designed for sleeping in.

“Why would Argent attack my son?”

Derek wanted to tell the Sheriff but hesitated.

“We need to tell him.”

Neither had noticed that Stiles had woken up.  The oxygen mask had been removed during the night as his lungs had healed.

Derek took a deep breath and sighed.  “We have to go over to Stark’s.  We’ll tell him everything there.”

“Stark?  You mean Jackson’s brother.  What does he have to do with anything?”

Derek looked at the Sheriff with dark eyes.  “He’s become part of it.”

Stiles reached out and grabbed Derek’s arm in shock.  “What happened?!”

“Gerard used Jackson to attack him.  It backfired.  The pack is there now.  It’s our new unofficial base of operations.”

***  
  
The first thing that the Sheriff noticed as he entered the Stark residence with his son and Derek was the scent of breakfast and quite talking.  The second thing he noticed was the state of the living room.  There was blood on the floor and Jackson was crashed out on the couch while his brother was sleeping with his back against the couch like some ever vigilant protector.

Erica and Isaac were cooking in the kitchen while Scott and Boyd watched.  Both had been banned from doing anything so as to not burn down the house.  Derek gestured for the Sheriff and Stiles to take a seat.  Food was placed in front of the Sheriff as a way to soften the blow before Derek began explaining.  He told the man everything; beginning with how Kate Argent had seduced and then betrayed him and ending with Gerard Argent controlling Jackson to try and kill Alex.  He didn’t leave out that they were werewolves and that Jackson was a Kanima and the Argents were hunters.  He confessed that his uncle Peter had killed during the first ‘animal attacks’ and that Jackson had been used as a weapon by Matt in the second though he was not the actual killer.

The crispy bacon that Stiles allowed him to eat didn’t do much to soften the blow.


	7. A Storm is Coming

The world around him smelled differently.  The world around him sounded sharper.  As he slowly came back to consciousness, it was as if a veil had been lifted; a veil that had been covering him all of his life.

He could smell Alex.  It was a scent like honey and metal and warmth.  He could smell dried blood and pack and food.

He could smell pack.

Jackson’s eyes show open and he bolted upright; eyes glowing amber as he looked around the living room.  His sudden movement caused a sleeping Alex to startle awake and turned to look at him.

“Are you okay?  How do you feel?  Do you need anything?  My god…you’re eyes.”

“My eyes?”

Jackson frowned before catching his reflection in the TV screen.  His eyes looked the same as Scott’s did when he went wolfy.  Jackson slowly blinked a few times and his eyes returned to their normal blue.

“I think…I changed…”

There was a sudden rush from the kitchen as the wolves plus Stiles and the Sheriff moved into the living room.  Derek moved to kneel beside Alex and rested a hand on Jackson’s shoulder before leaning forward and giving a deep sniff.

“You’re sent has changed.  You smell like a wolf now.  You’re one of us.”

Jackson’s eyes grew wide and he looked between Derek and his brother.  He couldn’t believe that Derek had just come out with the ‘wolf’ thing in front of his brother who was completely in the blue on the whole thing.

“It’s okay Jackson.  I know everything.  I know about the wolves, and the hunters, and how you were a Kanima.”

Jackson shifted a bit; pulling the blanket that was around him tighter when he realized that he was naked.

“What happened?”

Alex sighed softly before scratching the back of his head.  “Gerard Argent took control of you.  He sent you to kill me; but when you caught the scent of my blood; you turned on him.  He had no choice but to leave.  It won’t be the last we see of him though.  He’ll be back and he’ll be deadlier.  He has nothing to lose now.  He’s already wanted for attempted murder.”

“Whose attempted murder?”

Jackson felt completely out of the loop.

“Mine.”  Stiles stepped forward.  His voice was a bit rough as if he had strained his throat.  “He tried to drown me.  Derek arrived just in time to resuscitate me.  It’s how Gerard was able to take control of you.  He broke my connection to you.  But that won’t be a problem now as you’ll be growing fur instead of scales.”

Jackson let out a small puff of breath before watching his brother stand.  There was hell in Alex’s eyes and the scent of fresh blood caused Jackson to whine.  It was now that he noticed the bandage on Alex’s hand.  His brother’s hands were clenched to tightly that he had caused the wound to open again.

“Damn it Alex.  Do you want to bleed out because you keep opening your wound?”  Scott had appeared with the first aid kit but Alex waved him off.

“This bastard is a danger to you Jackson.  I made a vow a long time ago that I would protect you.  Well I wasn’t able to for sixteen years so you had better believe that I’m going all out now.”  A few drops of blood fell to the floor.  “I’ve trained with Captain America and the Black Widow.  I invented a fabric that worked better than the best bullet proof vests…Never before did I even think about making some form of a weapon…but the Nemean lion wasn’t only known for its impenetrable fur.  It had a mean set of claws.  Now it’s time to make my own.”

Alex whirled around to look at Derek and pointed one bloodied finger at him.  “You did this.  You bit my brother so it’s your job to watch over him while I can’t.  If you fail and he gets hurt; I won’t hesitate to gut you like a fish.”  Alex’s flashed with determination.  He whirled again so that he was pointing at Isaac.  “And you…make sure no one enters my lab for a while.  I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

He stalked away in a wave of fury and determination that left the hairs on the back of everyone’s necks standing up.  The wolves heard the slam of the lab door a few second later and winced.

Stiles turned slowly from where he was looking in the direction where Alex had gone and frowned at Derek.

“Why didn’t you go all Alpha Wolf on him?  You get pissed whenever someone challenges you like that.”

Derek blinked a few times before looking at Stiles.  “He had an actual purpose behind it.  A good one.  He’s right.  I did fuck up by biting Jackson.  I also happen to know just how strong someone can become when they’re protecting someone they love.  They’re even stronger when that person is blood.  He may be human; but if I had stood up against him he probably would have won the fight.”

“He’s right son.  There are several documented cases where someone had been stuck under a car and a family member…even children…have been able to lift up the cars to get their loved ones free.  It’s the strongest force in this world.  It’s stronger then hate or fear.  It’s stronger then both of them combined.”

Stiles hummed for a moment.  “I would still put my money on Derek.”

Jackson simply blinked; not even listening to what was going on around him as he focused on his brother’s voice down in the lab.  He was talking to himself and cursing Gerard Argent and anyone that would dare to harm his baby brother to the deepest circle of Hell.

***  
  
Down in the lab; there were several machines going at once.  In the corner; there was a computer running with measurements on everyone inside of the house.  There was also a machine working on creating Nemean cloth which was then sent to a laser cutter before being sent to another machine that was sowing it; using the tiny holes that the laser had placed in the fabric for the needle and threat.

Alex could feel a war coming; and the army would need proper armor; even if the majority could heal at super speeds.

He had patched up his hand once again; using a special resin that acted like super glue for knitting skin back together.  He kept it in his lab in case of accidents.  He would have used it the night before; but he hadn’t wanted to leave Jackson’s side.  It had been hard enough going to get the broom and trash to clean things up.

The young genius sat at his computer writing up formulas for a new metal alloy while also making designs for a set of retractable claws.

How long would it take him to make these things work?  How long did he have before Argent’s army was formed and descended upon the town?  Should he call his father?  Should he alert the Avengers to the coming storm?  No…this was one town’s strife and the Avengers were needed for much stronger enemies.

A knock sounded on the door and Alex gave a silent growl.  He hadn’t wanted to be disturbed.  It wasn’t until he looked at the image from the camera and the time that he realized that he had been cooped up for three hours and that Isaac had come to bring him something to eat and drink.

He pressed a small blue button on his work station which unlocked the door.

“Come in Isaac.”

He continued typing away on his computer as Isaac slipped into the room and set the tray he was carrying on a clear table beside the computer Alex was working on.  Isaac frowned when he noticed the mess of clothes that had fallen to the ground from one of the working machines.

“What’s up with those?”

“Shirts, jackets, and jeans made from Nemean cloth.  They’ll protect you and the others when Argent attacks.”

Isaac waked over to the clothes and began picking them up off of the floor and folding them before setting them on yet another empty table.

“How do you know they’ll fit us?”

“I have a computer system scanning everyone when they enter.  It’s for security purposes but it works to get measurements as well.  According to the computer; yours were the first ones out.”

Isaac sifted through the clothes until he came up with the first shirt, jacket, and jeans that were constructed.  They were all black.  He removed his shirt before pulling on the new one.  It was a tighter fit than the baggy shirt that he had been wearing before.  The jacket looked great and had several internal pockets for different things.

“You might as well try the pants on as well.  I won’t look.”

Alex took a sip of the drink that Isaac had brought him and pulled out a stylus to help him draw on one of the computer programs.  Isaac slipped the pants on with no problem before moving around in them.

“They move easily.  And they’re much softer than my other clothes.”

“And people wonder why I’m rich without needing my father’s money.”  Alex smirked softly before walking over to Isaac and fixing the collar of his jacket.”

“I would make you a set of claws but…you already have your own.”  He reached down and took Isaac’s hand in his own, examining his blunt nails.  “I want to see it Isaac.  I want to see what my brother has become.”

Isaac gulped.  He had some control over what he was but he wasn’t the best at it.  “Are you sure?”

“Yes.  I need to know what I’m dealing with.  And if the computer scans you while you’re shifted then it can help me and…well I guess Derek and the Sherriff will need to be in on it…come up with battle strategies.” 

Isaac gulped again before bringing up the rage inside of himself.  His vision became red and his nails grew into claws.  His teeth changed into fangs and his eyes began glowing amber.  A soft light nearly caused him to jump as the computer scanned him.  He nearly jumped again when Alex reached up and touched his face.

“Amazing.  I always thought that things like this were part of fairy tales.”

Isaac wanted to say that he had thought the same; but instead he said: “You smell so good.”  He turned his head to nuzzle his nose against Alex’s wrist and took in his scent.  It was intoxicating now that Alex was so close and he was in his wolf form.  He couldn’t stop himself from pushing Alex up against the nearest wall and buried his nose into the older man’s neck.  He pressed his body flush against Alex and nuzzled against his neck.

Alex pressed a hand against Isaac’s chest and tried pushing him back; but the werewolf was stronger than him.  When Isaac pulled his face back; his features had returned to normal.  It seemed as if Isaac had become suddenly bolder as he nearly lunged forward and pressed his lips against Alex’s.  Alex was shocked.  He had noticed how Isaac had looked at him every time they were around one another.  He knew that the teen had a crush; but he hadn’t quite expected this…and somehow he had a feeling that the whole ‘you smell so good’ thing was significant.  Isaac whined in annoyance when Alex didn’t recuperate the kiss.  He pulled back and looked at Alex with sad eyes.

“I thought…I mean…did I read you wrong?”

Alex reached out and ran his fingers through Isaac’s hair before kissing his cheek.  “No.  You’re attractive Isaac; and I would love to get to know you better.  But you’re sixteen and I’m twenty two.”

Isaac blinked like he was confused by what Alex was saying.  “I could get arrested.”

“It isn’t illegal if we don’t have sex.”

Alex bit his bottom lip lightly.  “When do you turn seventeen?”

“In a week.”

Alex nodded slowly before pulling Isaac close and kissing his lips deeply.  Isaac looked a bit dazed when Alex pulled away.  “That will have to hold you off until then.”

Isaac blinked a few times before nodding.  He took a step back only to bump into the table with the clothes on them.  He blushed lightly before running from the room and back to the pack.

Alex ran his hands over his face and groaned.  What was he getting himself into?  Not only was he developing feelings for a kid, but the kid was a werewolf too?  He shook his head slowly before returning to his computer and sitting down.

Looking at the screens…it was as if everything clicked into place.  It was like the break with Isaac had refreshed his mind enough to help him finish the equation for the new alloy and to finish the design for the new claws.

He plugged the information into another machine and listened to the whirling of several different metallic compounds combining.

***  
  
Stiles turned round and round trying to look at his ass in the new Nemean jeans.  They were all dressed in these new clothes; even Derek had agreed to wear them.  As amazing as his healing factor was…getting shot still hurt like a bitch and he had no doubt that Argent would be using wolfs bane.

“Does my ass look big in these jeans?”

Derek couldn’t keep himself from looking when Stiles asked.  The Sheriff had been standing beside Derek and noticed where his eyes had gone.  He quickly slapped the alpha upside the head.  “Quit looking at my son’s ass.”

Derek turned red eyes on the Sheriff only to get wacked in the head again.

“Don’t pull that alpha bullshit on me, son.”

Derek really couldn’t understand why his back was still following him with the way everyone outside of the pack seemed to be challenging him and winning lately.  Who knows, maybe they just realized that he was choosing his battles carefully.  The Sherriff did have a gun after all.

They were all lined up in front of the kitchen island.  Alex stood on the other side with a set of ‘gadgets’ laid out.

“Now, for the wolves; we have only two little goodies seeing as your natural senses will take care of everything else.”  Alex held up a round gray ball that resembled a paintball.  “This is a smoke bomb.  When tossed on the ground…and it does require some force to get it to activate…it will release a large cloud of smoke to aid in escape.  They will be held in small canisters to keep them from being broken when not in use.” He placed the ball in the canister before picking up the second item.  It looked like a simple ear bud.  “Here we have our communication devices.  They’re all synced.  When you wish to speak over the line, simply press the device here…” he pointed to a button that would be facing outwards from the ear, “and speak.  Everyone on the line will be able to hear you loud and clear.”  He placed the ear bud down and picked up what appeared to be a pair of sun glasses.  He flipped them over in his hands with a fond smile.

“I’m quite proud of these.  These glasses have an internal computer display.  They can move from night vision to heat vision to normal vision seamlessly.  They also have detections that will tell you who is a friend and who is a foe as well as let you know about any signs of movement and identify any possible threats.  They’re much like the internal display in my father’s armor.  I actually created these a few years back.  I set my original pair to help me get through New York traffic.”  He laughed a bit nervously at himself; not wanting to admit to his shitty sense of direction back when he was younger and just learning to drive.  He had gotten a late start at learning because he had always been driver places before and because he lived in the city he could always take a cab, subway, or just plain walk.”

A bright grin covered Alex’s face now.  “For our gun toting members; we have this little beauty.”

Alex lifted up the unloaded gun.  It looked just as normal as any other gun.

“What’s so special about it?”

“Absolutely nothing.  It’s the ammo that is special.”  He picked up the magazine to reveal what appeared to almost be needles in several neat rows filling it up.  “This ammo has a special reaction when it leaves the clip.  It expands to the size of a normal bullet.  This allows for a single clip to hold one thousand bullets.  Of course, this will never see the light of day among the members of Stark Enterprises.  We don’t make weapons after all.  And of course our last device won’t be found among Stark Enterprises either.”

It looked like a simple glove with a bit of padding over the wrist and back of the hand.  Over the knuckles there was metal.  Alex slipped one of the gloves on with a soft smile.  “These gloves are fitted.  The insides of the fingers have metal rings that will fit snuggly to hold it in place when used for attack.”  Alex tightened his hand into a fist, causing four long claws to come out over the knuckles.  “Just make a fist and the claws come out.  They’re made of a new alloy that is quite sharp.”  As he opened his hand, the claws retracted into the padded area of the glove.  “Stiles, you’ll be getting a pair of these…though you should probably stick close to your father when the fighting starts.”

Stiles frowned.  “Why?”

“Because you’re sixteen and human and your my son.  That’s why.”

Stiles simply rolled his eyes before crossing his arms over his chest.  He hated being the weak little human who couldn’t help when things got bad.  All he seemed to be good for was research.

Derek looked over at Stiles.  He wanted to wrap his arms around the teen and tell him just how important he was.  He had become Derek’s anchor.  If Derek lost Stiles…he would become just as bad as his uncle had been.

Alex looked at everyone standing in the room before taking a deep breath.

“Right.  Keep what you’re given on you at all times.  There is no telling when Argent might strike or what he might do.”  Alex shook his head slightly.  “Thank god for school vacations.”

****  
  
He was stuck in the shadows all because that idiotic boy had been revived by Hale.  His son and granddaughter had disowned him and he was stuck living with the rats…or he would be if he didn’t find powerful allies to aid him in his quest to destroy the Hale pack.  Getting where he needed to go through would be the hard part.

He knew the boy’s car well.  He had memorized the cars of each of the students that might end up being of importance.  It wasn’t all that hard to slip into the back and cover up with the blanket that was conveniently placed on the floor.  Teens should really make sure to keep their cars clean since you never knew who might be hiding in the back seat.

He didn’t have to wait long before the boy slipped into the car and brought it to life.  Then it was just a matter of pressing the barrel of his gun to the back of the boy’s head.

“Do exactly as I tell you and you may just get out of this alive.”

Danny Mahealani’s shoulders grew tense and his heart began pounding in his chest at the voice of his former principal.  He knew that the man was wanted for the attempted murder of Stiles Stilinski and that everyone was to watch out for the man.  Danny closed his eyes; as if hoping that when he opened them that everything would be a dream.  As he opened his eyes; he could still see the old man in his rear view mirror.

“What do you want?”

“I want you to drive.  I already programmed the destination into this GPS.  Follow it.”

He tossed the small device into Danny’s lap as he sat there with the gun now resting in his lap.

“Please.  Just…take the car and let me go.  I’m just a kid.”

“No Danny.  You’re not just a kid.  You’re my perfect hostage.  Jackson would do anything to make sure that you’re safe; and when he finds out that I’ve taken you, he’ll come running with that meddlesome brother of his and his foolish wolf pack.”

“W…what?  There are no wolves in California.  And even if there were; Jackson wouldn’t be able to control them.”  Not unless Jackson was a mutant.  That could explain why he had been ignoring him lately.  In middle school they had had a friend who became a mutant.  That friend had moved to New York to go to some special school.

“Some friend he is if he never told you.  Derek Hale, Scott McCall, even Erica, Isaac, and Boyd…they’re werewolves.  Your friend begged Derek to make him a werewolf too; but the bite went foul.  Jackson became something different.  He became a Kanima and Kanima are controlled by masters.  The Matt boy used him to kill his enemies and I was supposed to use him to kill mine; but then his brother had to go and bleed and free him from my control.  I suspect he may even be a wolf now himself.  It doesn’t matter.  He’s an abomination either way and he’ll be done away with; just like the rest of them.  But you…you’re still human Danny which means that I have no real reason to kill you as long as you do what I say.”

Gerard raised the gun again and pointed it at the teen.  “Now drive.”


	8. Chapter 8

Where was he?

How long had he been here?

His head was killing him.

Gerard had smashed him in the head with his gun after they had arrived at their destination. 

Danny groaned and shifted around for a moment before his eyes adjusted to the darkness with the help of what appeared to be red panic lights.  It looked like he was inside of some sort of vehicle.  It almost appeared to be the back of some sort of armored car.  He had been lying in the middle of the center aisle and he now sat up slowly, groaning as his head throbbed and his vision swam.

The area was soon flooded with light as a video screen came on to reveal an empty room.

Danny looked around now that he had more light.  There was a three inch hole in the door that led to what appeared to be a vent that was bringing in fresh air.  There was another a short distance away that seemed to be there for the purpose or removing bad air.  The windows which were now lit up revealed dirt…lots and lots of dirt.

He was buried in a car underground.

Danny’s heart started hammering in his chest.

This was his biggest fear; being buried alive.

“Mr. Mehealani.”

Danny’s head snapped to look at the monitor.  Gerard Argent and several masked men were now visible on the screen.

“As you may have already realized; you are trapped in an armored car beneath six feet of dirt.  You are kept alive by the vents that remove bad air and bring you fresh air.  We have access to these vents and can stop them from working at any time.”

“What do you want from me!?”

Danny was trying not to panic.

“Oh, we want nothing from you Mr. Mehealani.  We want the wolves.”

“You’re insane.”

“Most people would think so.  But I assure you that werewolves are real.  My family has been hunting them for centuries.  They are vial creatures that need to be exterminated.  Now, you’re very lucky Danny.  Everyone loves you.  So you should pray that the wolves will give themselves up for you.  They have two days to give themselves up and if they do; you’ll be set free.  If they do not…then we stop the vents.  Now, I think it’s time we call up your friends.”

***  
  
A letter had been delivered to their mail box that had no return address.  Inside was a simple piece of paper with a web address.

The web address led to a video feed that displayed Danny trapped in a car buried beneath the ground.

There was a warning on the website.

**Danny will die, unless the wolves hand themselves over.  Come to the abandoned amusement park in Crimson Ridge.**

There was a clock ticking down.

They didn’t have long.

They all stood around the large computer in Alex’s lab, watching as Danny slowly rocked back and forth.

They all watched the look of fear grow on the teen’s face through the night vision camera.

Jackson felt like he was suffocating.  There was his best friend…and he would pay the price because of one man’s prejudice against an entire species.

“No…no we can’t let this happen.  I refuse to let Danny die.  No.  No.  Just no.”  Jackson was packing back and forth.  He couldn’t look at the image on the screen any longer.  It was killing him to see the person that had been his rock for so many years suffering.  “We have to hand ourselves over.”

“Like hell you are.”  Alex grabbed Jackson by the shoulders and gave him a firm shake.  “I didn’t find you again just to lose you to some geriatric psychopath.  We’ll find Danny.  I promise we’ll find him and after we’ve freed him we’ll make a plan and do this on our terms in our way.  We will not play right into his hand.  We will not give him what he wants.”  Alex let go of his brother before moving to the computer controls.  If he could trace the video feed back to a location then there was a chance that they could find where Danny was buried and free him without Argent ever even knowing.

Gerard wasn’t as much as an idiot as Alex had expected though.  Not only were there firewalls that he had to go through; but the information he needed was encrypted.  It would have worked to keep someone less intelligent out; but Alex was a Stark.

“I’ve got the location.  Danny is at the Sanderson’s Gravel.  He’s probably buried under one of the gravel piles.  I think it’s time for everyone to suit up.”

A low growl from the corner had Alex turning his head to see Derek’s displeasure.

“What?”

“They’re my wolves.  If they go running into danger like this…it should be my decision.”

Alex gave Derek a dumbfounded look.  “Are we seriously going to have a pissing contest right now?”

Derek’s eyes flashed red for a second before he looked at each of his wolves as well as the Sheriff and Stiles who were in the room.  He growled lightly again.  “Suit up…but Stiles…stick close to your dad.”

***  
  
Sanderson’s Gravel was huge and filled with incredibly loud and incredibly large machinery which helped to make large piles of excavated gravel.

“How are we going to find Danny in all of this?”  Stiles’ eyes were wide as he looked from pile to pile of gravel.

“I can’t pinpoint his location more than to say that he’s in the eastern quadrant of the facility.”  Alex was fiddling with his high tech phone which created a holographic display above its surface to show a map of the facility with a glowing red circle encompassing at least five acres of gravel pits. 

They were careful as they entered the quadrant where Danny was buried.  The sheriff had his gun raised at all times and the wolves kept their ears open for any sign of life; be it friend or foe.

“Derek, can you or your wolves pick up any trace of Danny’s scent?”

Derek lifted his head and his nose to the air and took in a deep breath.  His wolves followed his example; though Isaac and Erica simply ended up sneezing.  Derek sighed softly and shook his head.

“There is too much dust in the air.  I can’t pick up any scents other than dirt, metal, and oil.”

“Damn.  We’re going to have to do this the old fashioned way then.”  Alex slipped his phone into his pocket and looked around for a few seconds.

“What is the old fashioned way?”  Isaac was worried that Alex might do something stupid.  It could run in the family after all and Tony Stark was known for doing stupid things and taking stupid risks when it came to being Iron Man.

Alex lifted his hand and pointed to one of the tall structures that served as a conveyer belt for the gravel.  It was surrounded by stairs for maintenance workers to climb it.  “I’ll go up there and look for any sign of vent work or any part of the car not being buried.  I’ll direct you all from there.”

“What if it’s a trap?  What if one of Argent’s men is waiting for us to split up.”  Isaac was starting to panic.  He liked Alex and didn’t want anything to happen to him. 

Alex reached out slowly and brushed some curly locks from Isaac’s face.  “I’ll be okay.  I made this last night.  I only had the time to make the one…but with it; my entire body will be covered in bulletproof protection.”  He pulled what looked like a visor out of his pocket and placed it over his eyes.  It unfolded to create a helmet.  “It has the same internal display as my father’s helmet.  It will help me find Danny.”  His voice sounded electronic through the helmet.

Somehow, the addition of the helmet didn’t help Isaac feel any better.

The group waited as Alex climbed the stairs to the top of the conveyor belt.  He could see at least ten piles of gravel from his new vantage point.

They all looked like they had been there for a long time.

He needed to find the vents.

Movement near one of the piles got his attention.  There were three men carrying guns.  Pressing a button on the side of the helmet let him zoom in.

He could see metal pipes coming out of the pile they were closest to, and on closer inspection there were fresh tire tracts near it and the gravel was still shifting as if it hadn’t fully settled.

He pressed another button in the helmet to let him connect to the communication devices that the others were wearing in their ears.

“I found the pile.  There are three armed men walking around it.”  He pulled out his cell phone and brought up the map before marking the pile where Danny had to be hidden.  The Sheriff felt the vibration of his own phone in his pocket and pulled it out so that they could find the pile that Alex had marked.

***  
  
He watched as Stark’s boy made his way down the stairs of his vantage point and headed back to the ground.  Gerard’s wolves had already begun the walk to the pile that the young Hawaiian was buried under. 

He raised the radio to his mouth and sent his message to the three men guarding the hostage.

“The wolves have descended. Stop the vents.”

***  
  
“They’re blocking the vents!”  Jackson was furious as he watched the hunters fill the vents with rubber plugs to keep any good air out and any bad air in.  Danny would die in there if they didn’t get him out fast.  Jackson was about to run out and start the rescue when Derek grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

“Think!  Your body may be protected from their bullets but your head isn’t.”  Derek tapped him hard in the head as he said it.  “We can’t just run in there half assed.  We need a plan.”

The sheriff pulled out his badge.  “They were resisting arrest.”

“Dad!”

“What Stiles?  They’re trying to kill your friend.  That could be you buried under there.  His time is running out.  We need to get him out…fast.”

The Sheriff raised the gun and fired off three fast shots.

The hunters dropped their guns as one was shot in the hand, another in the knee, and the last in the shoulder.  He was on them in a second; kicking away their guns and keeping the gun trained on them.

“What are you waiting for? Get Danny out of there!”

Derek turned slowly to look at Stiles.  “Remind me not to get on your father’s bad side.”

***  
  
They were digging and digging but they had only revealed the bumper and trailer hitch of the vehicle that Danny was trapped in.  They had tried to reopen the vents but they the rubber plugs had let loose some sort of foam that filled the entire length of pipe so no matter where they cut into it; it wouldn’t allow air in.

Everyone but Jackson stopped suddenly when they heard a rumbling.

“What the hell is that?”

“Who cares?!  Keep digging!  Danny!  I’m coming Danny!  Just hold on!”

A large bulldozer was heading towards them with Alex in the driver’s seat.  When he got close; he jumped down and attached a length of strong wire from the blade of the machine to the hitch of the car.  He rested a hand on Jackson’s shoulder.  “Stand back with the others.  If the wire breaks; I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

Isaac and Scott were pulling him back and to a safe distance away from the pile as Alex hopped back up into the seat of the bulldozer.  He began backing up and the car began slowly pulling from the pile as gravel slid all around it in mini rock slides.

The wire began to fray but Alex didn’t stop.  He kept pulling and pulling until the doors of the car were revealed.  He shut down the dozer and hopped down before trying to open the doors.

“It’s locked.”

The pack was with him now and he watched as Stiles used his new claws to cut through the lock before yanking to doors open.

Jackson peered into the darkness before jumping into the back and pulling Danny from the dark depths.  He laid him on the ground and watched as he took in a deep gasp of breath as the fresh air finally made it to his lungs.

“Oh thank god.”

Danny slowly opened his eyes to see Jackson looking up at him.

“You…you saved me.”

Something wet hit his cheek.  Was it raining out?  The sky looked blue and clear behind Jackson’s head.  Wait…was Jackson crying?

“Are you…crying?”

“What?  I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Danny reached up slowly and brushed the tears from Jackson’s cheeks with a small smile.  “I love you too Jackson.”

Jackson’s breath hitched before he leaned down and captured Danny’s lips in a deep kiss.  It would be the first of many.

***  
  
Danny had refused to be carried; but he let Jackson support his wait as they walked; even though he was fine to walk.  He was fine other than the nasty bump on his head.  It was okay though…he would let Jackson baby him for now.

Somehow he didn’t care that Jackson had been hiding the werewolf thing from him.  Somehow he had known deep down.

It would be okay now.

Or it would have been okay except for the loud squeal of tires and the loud thump as the truck slammed into one of their group.

Alex’s body went flying against one of the gravel piles, causing a mini rock slide that covered him up as the truck spun and drove away.

It would be okay though.  Alex would be fine because he was wearing the Neman cloth.  Right?  But why had the gravel already settled?  Why wasn’t he moving?  Why wasn’t he pulling himself out?

“ALEX!”

The group ran to the pile and began digging him out.  He hadn’t been wearing the helmet and there was a trail of blood slipping down from his mouth and there was a rip in one of the seams of his jacket and shirt and there was obviously something wrong with his arm.

For both Jackson and Isaac, if felt like the world was ending around them. Neither could even hear as the sheriff called for an ambulance.

But…Alex would be okay right?  Right?


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To clear things up. This story WILL be Alex/Isaac and Derek/Stiles. The question I asked was meant for a long while ago. This chapter will clear some things up.

There was a soft rain falling as the group stood in the grave yard.  Jackson looked down at the head stone and was thankful that the rain was hiding his tears.

“She would have loved you.”

Alex placed the hand of his good arm on Jackson’s shoulder.

His left arm had broken when he had been hit by the car and was in both a cast and a sling.  He had a bandage on his forehead from where some gravel had cut into his skin and he had stitches in his bottom lip from where it had been cut.  He was lucky that he had been wearing the Neman cloth and that he had done a few upgrades to make it resistant to hard hits (after all, if he was ever put up against someone with a mutation that gave super strength; he would need it).  He just needed to fix the stitching at the seams to keep it from ripping and allowing damage to be done to the body.

Still; he should have been dead.  A few bumps, bruises, and a broken bone wasn’t a bad exchange for his life.

Isaac stood just behind him; keeping a watchful eye on him.  He had broken down and begun begging Derek to bite Alex back at the gravel pit in hopes that it would save his life.  Of course, Derek knew that Alex would be okay and refused.

“How do you know she would have loved me?”

Alex turned his head to look at Jackson with a frown.

“Because the second she found out she was pregnant…it was like the sun and moon were shining down on her.  She had stars in her eyes the entire pregnancy.  She was excited Jackson.  She spoke to you every day and would sit in your nursery and read you stories…before you were even born.  She would tell you how much she loved you every single day.”

Alex pulled Jackson into a hug.  “To her, we were the most important things in the universe.”

Alex pulled away with a small wince as he moved his bad arm the wrong way.  He wasn’t used to such a limited range of motion.  Isaac was touching his bare skin in an instant; dark veins making their way up his arm as he pulled some of the pain from Alex.

“Thank you Isaac.  But you really don’t need to.”

Isaac gave a sad smile.  “I want to.”

Alex smiled softly at the teen that was growing on him.  He knew that it wouldn’t be long before Isaac had him wrapped around his finger.  Alex stepped back with Isaac and let Jackson have his moment alone with their mother.

He just wanted Jackson to feel some peace.

***  
  
Danny was shaky most of the day.  It made him exhausted by the time night fell…but sleep would not be peaceful.  Surrounded by the darkness of his closed eyes; he felt like the walls were closing in on him.  He ignored it at first, until he slipped into dream and could actually see the walls closing in on him.

Sweat coated his body as he tossed and turned and screamed in his sleep.

And then there was light, and cool hands on his feverish skin and the darkness slipped away to be replaced by Jackson; his skin glowing as the light of the almost full moon illuminated him.

His guardian angel was here to save him.

Danny let out a sob before throwing his arms around Jackson and crying against his shoulder.

“Shh.  It’s okay.  I got you now.  I won’t ever let him hurt you again.  Shh…”

Danny’s body shook with the strength of his sobs.  Jackson pulled Danny back to lie with him against the pillows.  He let Danny rest his head on his chest and simply held the larger teen, his fingers carding through his sweaty hair.

After a few more moments, Danny felt himself slipping away into sleep again only to startle awake in fear of what his dreams would find.

“It’s okay now Danny.  Sleep.  Even your dreams can’t hurt you while I’m here.”

Danny slipped into sleep, and Jackson was right.  His dreams were happy as long as Jackson was there.

****  
  
The sound of a child’s laughter filled the lab.

Alex sat with his feet up on his desk as he watched the home videos from his childhood.  Things had been so easy then…they had been so easy before his father had become Iron Man.  They had been so easy before superheroes and super powered bad guys and werewolves and psychotic werewolf hunters.

The video was of him and his mother.  She was six months pregnant with Mikey…Jackson in the video.  Alex had just turned five and it was his birthday.  His mother was singing him happy birthday while his father…his birth father…held the camera and sang along.

Alex remembered being so happy at the time…but watching the video now he noticed the look on his step father’s face as he looked at him.  His step father was looking at him with hate in his eyes and holding a knife with white knuckles.

There was no reason for him to be holding the knife.

Chills ran up Alex’s spine.

The image of the truck coming towards him flashed behind his eyes…the man with half a face…

Alex was pulled from his thoughts when Isaac entered the room with a cup filled with coffee.  A wave of Alex’s hand stopped the video and brought the lights back up.

“What are you doing up Isaac?  It’s almost two in the morning.”

“I could say the same to you.”

“I’m a Stark.  I run on very little sleep.”

“You need rest to heal.”

“I’m fine Isaac.”

“NO!  You are NOT fine.”  Isaac’s hands were shaking.  He set down the coffee mug before the hot liquid could splash over the sides and either burn him or damage some of the expensive equipment in the room.  Isaac jumped across the table where Alex was sitting at and sat on the edge.  He reached out slowly to remove the bandage over his face, revealing the patch work of cuts there.  He gingerly ran his finger over them before bringing it down to the stitches in his lip.

“You’re not okay.  You almost died.  If it hadn’t been for your clothes…I could have lost you.”  Tears were pouring down Isaac’s face and his curls pounced as he shook his head fast.  “I lost my mom.  I lost my brother…and I lost my father…even if he had become a bad man at the time that he died.  I lost everyone that I cared about…and then I saw your body flying through the air…you looked like some…some broken doll.  Then you hit the gravel and the rocks slid onto you and…I thought you were dead.  Even as I heard your heartbeat…I thought I would lose you.  I thought…”

His rambling was cut off as Alex pulled him forward by the back of his neck with his good hand and pressed their lips together.  Alex pulled back with a wince as the pressure of forcing their lips together so quickly caused his stitches to pull.  He was more careful the second time he pressed their lips together, his hand slipping into Isaac’s hair.

Isaac was hesitant to kiss back…he was afraid that he would hurt Alex.  A hiss told him that he had done just what he feared.  He pulled back quickly with a small laugh.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.  I initiated it.  It’s my own fault that I nearly pulled a stitch.  It didn’t cross my mind that kissing with a busted lip would be so painful.”

“For a genius…you can be a bit of an idiot sometimes.”

Alex smiled softly.  “What can I say?  I’m a Stark.”

Isaac slipped into Alex’s lap and Alex wrapped his good arm around him, holding him close.

“What are we going to do?”

“This seems quite nice.”  Alex’s eyes had fallen closed as he rested his forehead against Isaac’s shoulder.

“I meant about the hunters.”

Alex sighed softly.  “I don’t know.  I know what I want to do; I want to kill them for what they’re doing.  They threaten my brother, they threaten you, and they threaten the pack.  As long as they live; they won’t stop.  But what will I become if I take their lives?  What will you become?  What will Jackson become?” Never mind the fact that Jackson had already killed; but that had been under the control of someone else and not of his own will.

“It’s them or us.  We can’t get them sent to jail without giving away the existence of werewolves.”

If that happened then Jackson would be in danger every day of his life.  Isaac would be in danger ever day of his life.  If the world knew about werewolves; there would be far more hunters rising up to destroy them.  But what if there were also laws put into action to protect them?  No…it wouldn’t happen for werewolves.  It was different for mutants.  One mutant could not infect another and turn them into a mutant (unless that was their power) but any alpha werewolf could turn a human into a werewolf.  A full out war would be declared on an entire species.

No.  By the end of this, Alex would have blood on his hands…but he didn’t care.  He didn’t care as long as his brother and Isaac would be okay.  He wrapped his good arm around Isaac tighter.

“We’ll think on it more later.  For now; let’s go to bed.”

“Together?  I…my bed is cold.”  Isaac’s eyes got a bit shifty.  Alex laughed softly and nuzzled against his neck.

“Together.”

***  
  
Stiles slipped down the stairs in the middle of the night on his way to the kitchen for milk.  He opened the refrigerator door slowly only to drop the carton of milk on the floor when the light from the refrigerator illuminated Derek.

“Son of a…you have got to stop doing that!”

Stiles picked up the ruined carton and began cleaning up the spilled milk with paper towels.  When he was finished; he sat down across from Derek.

“What are you doing here?  How long have you been here?  Why didn’t you come up stairs?”

Derek sighed softly.  “I’ve been here for…a while.  I wanted to make sure that you would be okay.  I’m worried about you Stiles.  This is all getting to be too much.  Alex nearly died.  The Nemean cloth isn’t infallible.  It could have been you that the car hit.  You could have died.  I could have lost…”

Derek hadn’t noticed that Stiles had moved while he was rambling.  Maybe Stiles was rubbing off on him.  Stiles had stopped him mid-sentence by pressing their lips together.  The tension eased from Derek’s shoulders as he pulled Stiles into his lap and kissed him back deeply.  He felt the teen’s fingers lace through his hair.  He stood in an instant and pushed Stiles up against the wall, the teen’s legs wrapping around his hips as they kissed.

Stiles hand slowly slipped under Derek’s shirt to run over his chest.  Things were getting heated…and then the kitchen light switched on and they both froze…and turned towards the door where the Sheriff was standing with his arms crossed.

“Dad!  This isn’t what it looks like!”

The Sheriff frowned before looking at Derek.  “The legal age is eighteen in California.”

“Yes sir.”  Derek let Stiles put his feet on the floor as both turned to look at the man.

“I expect you to keep to that for as long as you’re in the state.  Also, remember that I have a gun.”

Derek and Stiles watched as John left the room only to head back down in a second later.

“Oh and Derek, will you go out in the morning to get some more milk?  Neither of us wants Stiles going out alone.”

“Yes sir.”

“Good boy.”

They watched the Sheriff leave before looking at one another.

“Was your father making a dog joke?”

“I…I’m not sure.”


	10. Chapter 10

The week passed in silence.  There was no sign of Gerard Argent or the hunters that he had gathered together.  Danny was now escorted to and from school by Jackson.  The two were an official couple now and the girls in the school were saddened to know that not only was Jackson once again off the market, but that he was truly unavailable as he had ‘gone gay’ for his best friend.  Screw them, Jackson didn’t care what they thought or said.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning and Alex moaned as he was pulled from the world of dreams.  He had been having a very lovely and…highly inappropriate dream when he was awakened by someone very enthusiastically sucking on his neck.  He arched his hips into the body above him and pulled Isaac closer.  If his mind wasn’t still clouded with the fog of sleep; he would have pushed the horny teen away.

“Mmm…zic…”

Isaac chuckled against Alex’s neck as his hands slipped beneath the covers and ran over the older man’s naked chest and stomach.  Isaac stalled for a moment as his fingers brushed against the cast that covered Alex’s arm.  It was a reminder that he had nearly lost Alex, and it urged him on.  His lips moved from the mark they had left on Alex’s neck to kiss down his toned and still slightly bruised body before getting to the waist band of his pants.  He was very quickly pushed away.

“No!”

Isaac gave a whine as he reached out for Alex again.  Alex who was fully awake now grabbed a pillow and placed it in front of his body to help protect himself from Isaac.  God this was frustrating.  He could see the erection clearly tenting Isaac’s boxers and his own dick was highly interested at the moment thanks to the dream.  It would be so easy to just toss the pillow to the side and give in…but Isaac was underage.

“Why not?!  Sure I’m underage, but I’m a werewolf.  I’m not like other guys my age.”

“Wait…say that again.”

“I’m not like other guys my age?”

“No, before that.”

“Why not?”

“No, after that.”

“I’m a werewolf?”

“Yes, that!”  Alex was up in an instant and picking up his cell phone.  He scrolled through to one of his apps and his eyes grew wide before holding it up in front of Isaac’s face.  He frowned before realizing what he was seeing.

“It’s a full moon tonight.”

“Yes.  It’s a full moon tonight.  Which means that you’re really not completely yourself.”

Isaac smirked and got off of the bed.  He slowly pushed Alex against the wall and pressed their hips together, letting Alex feel how much he wanted him.

“All the more reason to give in and fuck me.”

Alex let his head fall back against the wall and groaned.  He bucked his hips forward a bit against his will.  He really needed a cold shower.  Like now.

“Derek!”

Isaac’s eyes grew wide.  “What?!  No!  You traitor!”

It wasn’t long before Isaac was being ripped away from Alex and pushed out of the room by his alpha.  Alex slunk down to the ground with a groan.  He never thought he would be so thankful for the alpha wolf now living with him.

***  
  
The scent of coffee filled the kitchen as Alex entered after his lengthy shower.  Isaac was watching him with golden eyes and he knew that the teen knew exactly what he had done in the shower.  A light blush covered the Stark heir’s cheeks.  He cleared his throat before pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“So, when will the others be here Derek?”

“They’re walking to the front door now.”

Alex took a sip of his coffee before listening to the front door opening and closing.  Jackson entered carrying a big box of various pastries for breakfast.  Alex quickly stole a cannoli and bit into it as he claimed his seat at one end of the table and Derek at the other.  The box of pastries and coffee were handed around for a few minutes and it was quiet as the pack plus John and Danny ate breakfast.

With a quick flick of his tongue to remove powdered sugar, Derek began the discussion.

“So, this is our first _official_ pack meeting.  We need to talk about a few very important things today.  The first being what we’ll do about Argent and the second being about tonight’s full moon.”

Isaac had been looking at Alex since the man had sat down.  Isaac let out a small rumble of a growl which caused Derek to let out a louder growl of his own to get the young wolf’s attention.

“Sorry.  I’m back.”  Isaac forced himself to face completely away from Alex so that he could focus on his alpha’s words.

“Good.  Gerard is a major threat.  We took out three of his men, but we have no idea how many hunters he has under his belt.  Alex?”

Alex stood and set a small device in the center of the table.  A hologram appeared above it.  The image was that of the abandoned amusement park that they were supposed to go to in order to save Danny.

“The day that we rescued Danny, I had one of the Stark private satellites focus on the park.”  He pressed a button on a device in his hand and it zoomed in to show what was clearly the top of Gerard Argent’s head and the heads of six other men.

“Using this, we can see that Gerard has at least seven other men under his command.”

Scott frowned as he looked at the image.  “I only count six others.  The balding guy is Gerard, right?”

“Yes.  But I was hit by a truck at the gravel pit…after John incapacitated the three men there; which means that there was at least one man there that we hadn’t known about.”

Derek sighed as he looked at the image.  “So, Argent plus seven known hunters and an unknown number waiting in the wings?  What are we going to do?”

Derek’s eyes had moved to Alex.  Alex choked on the sip of coffee he was taking.  “Why are you looking at me?”

“Your father is Iron Man; he’s one of the Avengers.  You’re his son so doesn’t that mean you can make plans like he does?”

Alex burst out into laughter and faked brushing away a tear.  “Oh, that’s priceless.  You actually think my father makes plans.  He doesn’t.  He mostly just goes in half assed and makes things up as he goes along.  And while we’re at it, it’s the same with Thor and Hawkeye.  The only ones with any plans are Black Widow and Captain America and I haven’t spent enough time with either of them for it to rub off on me.”

Isaac was tempted to say that the only thing rubbing off on Isaac should be him; but he kept his mouth shut.

“So you’re saying we should go into this without a plan?”

“No, dumbass.  I’m saying my father is a lucky son of a bitch.  Only an idiot goes to war without a plan.  I just haven’t thought of a viable one yet.  I checked back at the park but they left and haven’t been back since we got Danny back.  I have a hack in a bunch of systems to tell us if Gerard Argent uses his credit or debit cards or any form of ID.  But he’s been quiet.  Until we know his base of operations; we can’t really form a plan against him because we don’t know _where_ to attack.”

“So we’re at square one?”

“Yes.” 

Derek and Alex kept eye contact for a moment before Derek sighed and sat down.  Alex turned slowly to look at John.

“Any chance I could go one on one with one of those hunters you arrested?”

John shook his head.  “They’re no longer in Beacon County.  Kidnapping charges are serious charges.”

Alex gave a small nod.  “I’ve sent their photos and names to a contact at S.H.I.E.L.D.  They’ll look into getting us more information about them.  It could help us.  Unfortunately S.H.I.E.L.D is dealing with A.I.M and HYDRA at the moment…so we’re on the back burner.”

“What?  Why?”  Stiles was outraged that S.H.I.E.L.D didn’t see their plight as important.

“The H in S.H.I.E.L.D stands for Homeland.  They take care of the entire country.  A pack of werewolves in Beacon Hills is unimportant in the main scheme of things.  For now, everyone keep wearing the Nemean clothing.  I’ve made improvements to the stitching.  Tracking devices have also been sown into every single piece; so if anyone is taken, we’ll have known their location immediately.  I’ve also come up with a set of watches that has a distress beacon to be pressed if something happens.  It also activates a microphone that will start recording.  It will help us know what we’re getting into.  I’ll bring the watches up after the meeting.”

Derek nodded before looking around at his pack.  He took a deep breath before starting on subject number two.  “Our next order of business is the full moon.”

“We’ll just do what we always do.  You lock up Isaac, Boyd, Erica, and now Jackson.”

“Well; yes but there is more to it.  We need to talk about mates.”

Stiles stiffened in his seat.  What if this was about him and Derek?  Oh god…not with his father here!

“Mates?”  It was Isaac that finally spoke up.

“Some werewolves are lucky enough to find someone that was made perfectly for them.  Even werewolves that are turned can find their mates.  I…I found mine.”  Derek blushed lightly and John narrowed his eyes.  “Isaac, Jackson…you guys found yours as well.”

Alex actually choked on his coffee this time, and Jackson needed to pat him hard on the back to clear his airways again.  Isaac watched him with worried eyes.

“Isaac, I knew you had already formed a bond with Alex the second you two met; and if the accident that took his mother hadn’t happened; then there is a chance that the two of you would have known one another before now.  And Jackson…you’ve been denying your bond with Danny for a long time; but you finally accepted it.”

“What does this have to do with the full moon?  I was always fine with Allison.  In fact, she was my anchor.”

“Allison is not your mate Scott.”  Scott’s jaw dropped and Derek rolled his eyes.  “I’m sorry; but that doesn’t mean she can’t ‘become’ your mate.  She just isn’t the other half of…well…you.”  Derek was rubbing the back of his head, trying to think of how to say this.  “Not everyone has a second half.  Some people are complete all on their own or the other half of their soul just isn’t born in their life time.  My grandmother and grandfather were not mates…but they ‘became’ mates…god this is complicated.”

“Scott…just…shut up.”

Scott scowled at Stiles who was more interested in what Derek had to say.

“Right…well werewolves need to claim their mates.”

“You are not ‘claiming’ my son.  He’s seventeen.”

Derek’s eyes grew wide.  “I…I don’t intend to claim him until he is legal sir.  Just…will everyone shut the hell up so I can explain!?  This isn’t easy for me.”

The room grew eerily silent.  Derek sighed in relief.

“For certain wolves, the pull to claim or be claimed by their mates on the full moon is incredibly strong…it can be dangerous if one of the mates is human.  Which is why Danny and Alex can’t be here tonight and why Erica, Boyd, Isaac, and Jackson are getting locked in the panic room tonight.”

“Why are you lumping Boyd and I in with those two?”

“Because you don’t have your anchors yet, and it’s better to be locked in a room you can’t break out of than to have the chains you had last time.”

Well, there was no arguing with that.

“But Alex lives here.  Where will he go tonight?  And what if we…you know…before tonight?”

“Isaac, your seventeen, I’m not having sex with you today.”

Isaac gave a cute pout.  Alex laughed softly at it and kissed his lips lightly.  “My dad is coming to town tonight.  He wants a late dinner with me.  I’ll be out with him until probably midnight and then I guess I’ll crash get a room at the Inn.”

Isaac whined and moved his chair closer to Alex’s.  Alex lifted his arm up and let Isaac slip beneath it and snuggle into his side.  Alex ran his fingers through Isaac’s hair with a soft smile on his face.

“Wait, what about me?  You didn’t say that I couldn’t be here tonight.”

“I’m a born werewolf for one, and certain…events…in my past made me less receptacle to you when I was a beta so I didn’t try to claim you.  I don’t have to worry about it now because as an alpha I have more control.  You’re not going to be here because I can’t be sure that Erica and Boyd won’t try to eat you.”

“Fair enough.”

***  
Everything important that could be damaged had been removed from the panic room.  Erica and Boyd were already sitting in the corner and playing a game of chess while Jackson said good night to Danny and Isaac said good night to Alex.

Danny kissed Jackson’s lips lightly before sighing softly. 

“It’s going to be hard to sleep tonight.”  Every time Danny had tried to sleep without Jackson since the kidnapping; his dreams had been filled with nightmares.  Jackson brushed some hair from Danny’s face before pulling off his shirt.  He had worn one that was several sizes bigger than what he would need.

“Here.  My scent is on this.  I know…that you can’t really smell it but it’s my cologne as well so…sleep in it tonight and part of me will be there with you.”

Danny smiled softly and kissed Jackson one last time before watching his best friend and now boyfriend enter the panic room.

Isaac was having a harder time saying good bye to Alex.  He just had this bad feeling on top with the needy feeling of his wolf wanting to be claimed and to claim.  Alex ran his fingers through Isaac’s hair as they kissed.  They both knew that Derek was getting impatient, but Isaac needed this.  His wolf needed this.  When they pulled away from one another, Isaac’s eyes were glowing amber.

“Be careful tonight.”

“I promise.  And the same goes for you.  Try not to get into any fights with the others.”

Isaac laughed softly and kissed Alex one final time before entering the panic room.  The door slid shut behind him.

Derek looked over at Alex who had pressed the button required to shut the panic room door from the outside and keep it shut.  It turned the panic room into a prison.  Alex handed over the button before sighing.

“I should probably get ready to go.  This new restaurant that dad is taking me to is supposed to be one of those ones where you have dozens of courses spread out over hours.”  Alex rolled his eyes.  It wasn’t really his idea of a fun night; but he would indulge his father.

***  
  
The iron works had once been important to the economy of Beacon Hills.  There was once a time when the majority of the town’s people were employed there.  That had been a long time ago and the buildings all mostly sat empty or had been turned into storage.  The Iron Works was no housed in one of those many buildings.  It was a new restaurant that was boasted to be an ‘experience’ in dining.  People came from larger cities all round Beacon Hills to eat at The Iron Works and spend lavish money on the meal.

The building itself still looked like a warehouse.  It was all cement, brick, and iron support beams.  The tables were made of exotic wood and the dining chairs were big and comfortable.  Moreover, each table was able to be partitioned off by rich blood red curtains to keep things private.  Of course, some patrons wished for their curtains to be left open so that they could see and be seen.

Upon his arrival, Alex was led to a table that was curtained off.  His father was already inside waiting for him to arrive.  Tony Stark stood and hugged his son before pulling away in shock when he noticed the very large hicky that his son had tried to hide.

“Well would you look at that.  You got a new man in your life?  Is he smart?  Is he handsome?  Is he rich?  Basically…is he like me?”

A deep blush covered Alex’s cheeks as he sat down across from the seat his father had chosen.

“Dad…”

“Well?  I’m waiting.”

“He’s seventeen.”

“What!?”

Tony Stark stood in shock and looked down at his son.  Sure, he found nothing wrong with dating younger people…as long as they were at least eighteen.

“Dad…please…”  Thank god for the curtains.

“Start talking.”  Tony sat down with an annoyed look on his face.  If his son had gone and had sex with the boy…oh this could be bad.

“His name is Isaac Lahey.  He’s an orphan, and a friend of Jackson’s.  He’s in high school and I’ve already told him that sex is a no-no until he’s eighteen.  I’m not going to do something stupid dad.”

“How did this happen?”

“Well, for one, my dad tends to date girls much younger than him.  Why…when I was eighteen, I remember him going out with one of my class mates.”

“Don’t pin this on me.  I raised you right.  This isn’t like you.  You usually date men your own age.”

“I don’t know what happened dad.  I just…when he smiles it’s like the sun shines just a bit brighter.  When he laughs it’s like music.  He’s just…He’s…”  Alex laughed softly.  “He snuck up on me.  And normally he’s not…”  Alex rubbed the spot on his neck, “like this.  But today he just couldn’t stop himself.”

“Do you have any pictures of him?”

Alex pulled out his cell phone and scrolled through.  He had eventually programed his phone to be able to pick up a good picture of Isaac without his eyes flashing.  The picture on his phone was of Isaac stirring a bowl of brownie batter.  Alex handed the phone over to his father who examined the photo intently.

“Can you trust him?  He’s not doing this for your money?”

Alex thought back to how Derek had said they were mates.  His heart started beating faster.  “We can trust him.”

Tony handed back his son’s phone just as the waiter came to take their drink orders.

“How is Jackson?”

“He’s doing great.  We’ve really gotten close.  He said ‘I love you’ the other day.  He also has a boyfriend now.  He’s dating his best friend Danny.  He seems happy.  I was talking to his parents the other day and they said that he seems much happier.”

“That’s good.  I was worried that things wouldn’t work out.  So you’ll be living in Beacon Hills for a bit longer then?”

“At least until Jackson and Isaac are eighteen.  Yes.  But we’ll be going to New York this summer.  Why?”

Tony sighed.  “I know I haven’t been the best father.  First it was all the sleeping around and general irresponsibility.  Now it’s this Iron Man thing…but I love you, son.  I love you and I miss you…and you told Cap’ to be on my ass about my drinking didn’t you.”

Alex simply smirked.

****  
  
Alex said goodbye to his father who would be staying at the same Inn that Alex would be spending the night at.  He had told his father that Jackson and his friends were having a ‘sleep over’ and that he didn’t want to deal with a group of rowdy teenagers.  It had worked and gotten his father to stop asking questions.

Alex walked silently through the darkness towards his car.  He had the strange sensation that he was being watched.  He reached down towards his watch and the panic button that would alert the wolves that something had happened.

Alex turned a corner and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the man standing under one of the street lights.  He frowned softly as the face registered in his memory.

“Tom?”

The man began walking closer.

“Oh my God.  It is you.  Tom!  But they said you were dead!”

Tom smiled as he arrived in front of Alex.

“Alexander Stark.  My, you have grown up.  You were just a little thing when I last saw you.”

Alex flung his arms around Tom’s body as tears slid down his face.  Tom, his step-father was alive.  He had been told that Tom was DOA at the hospital…just like his mom and just like he had been told that Mikey was dead…but now Mikey was Jackson and Jackson was very much alive.

“Oh, I lived.  I just didn’t want to deal with a stupid little brat like you.”

Pain erupted through Alex’s chest…and his stomach.  Tom’s words broke his heart, but his knife ripped into his gut…and twisted.  Tom had lifted up his shirt so that he could stab him.

“I hit you with a truck at forty miles per hour.  You should have died and all that you got was a few cuts and bruises and a broken arm.  Then I read the news about your little invention.  No wonder you survived, you were wearing it the day I tried to kill you.”

Tom removed the knife before stabbing it in again and twisting once more.

“Your mother was supposed to love me.  She was supposed to be my wife, and yet you were always the most important thing to her.  Then we had to go to that damn meeting for you to get into a special school, you stupid little braniac.  Five years old and we had to see about sending you to a private school for geniuses.  I fucking despise you.  It is your fault your mother is dead.  Well now it’s your time to die.”  He stabbed the knife in one last time and once more twisted before letting Alex fall to the ground.

Alex gasped for breath.  “You’re working…for Argent.”

“Of course I am.  Gerard’s wife worked at the hospital…looking for any wolves that might have been admitted.  I was in the morgue when I came back to life, my body healed.  I bet you didn’t know I was a mutant.  I have advanced healing, but it still takes a while to recover from your spinal cord being severed and your heart being shredded by broken glass.  They took me in until I was fully healed…and they told me about my son.  My Michael died because of you.  I vowed to destroy you then.  So what if I have to kill a few wolves as well.”

Alex coughed up a mouthful of blood.  “He’s alive.  Mikey…he’s alive.”

“I know.  And werewolf or not, he’ll join me and we’ll leave this cursed town.”  Tom turned away and slipped back into the shadows; leaving Alex to die.

Alex’s world was growing dark.  Warm torrents of blood poured out around him.  Alex had just enough time to hit the panic button before his world went black.

***  
  
Pain ripped through Isaac’s chest and his eyes briefly turned completely blood red as he let out a pain filled howl.

“Alex!”

Derek had been nodding off in an armchair outside of the panic room when he heard the howl and the cry for Alex.  He could hear Isaac throwing himself against the wall of the panic room.  The others were howling as well, and he could hear Jackson’s distress as well. 

Derek pressed the button to open the door and Isaac and Jackson came stumbling out.  Tears were streaming down their faces and they were no longer wolfed out.

“Alex.  Derek…he’s fading.”

Derek looked down as his phone began beeping urgently.  Alex had pressed his panic button.  He was at the iron works.  Derek’s eyes flashed red.  Erica and Boyd slipped from the room and stood before their alpha and pack mates.

“Come on.  We need to hurry.”

****  
  
“Sir, I’ve detected a distress signal coming from one of Alex’s new systems.”

“Can you track it Jarvis?  Do you know what it is for?”

“I have no idea.  All I know is that several such beacons were created and that he is tracking the movements of a group of teenagers, a man named Derek Hale, and the Sheriff of the town of Beacon Hills.”

“Whose signal went off?”

“I’m hacking into that data now sir.”

There was silence for a while.

“Sir, its Alex’s signal.  Tracking origin now.”

 

***  
  
The scent of blood was obvious the second they entered the iron works.  Isaac and Jackson went running off ahead of Derek as he called them back.  He growled and ran after them with Boyd and Erica trailing after him.  He had called Scott on his way here and Scott met up with them.

“What’s going on?  Why do I smell blood?”

Sometimes Scott was really stupid.

Derek continued running until he reached Isaac and Jackson who were kneeling over a still figure.  Isaac had the figure’s head in his lap while Jackson had his hands pressed against his stomach.  Both looked up at Derek with glowing eyes.

“Please.  Derek, please.  He’s my brother.  He’s my only family and he’s dying.  Please.”

“Derek…he’s all I have.  He’s my mate.  I…bite him.  Save him.  Please.”

Derek’s steps were slow as he made his way closer to Alex.  The heartbeat was faint and with the amount of blood pooling around him; it was probably sheer will that was keeping the man alive.

Most of Alex’s blood was pooled beneath him.  Would the bite even work?

“I…I’m so sorry I don’t…I don’t think it will work.”

Isaac and Jackson raised their heads and howled their pain to the sky.  Scott took up the call next, followed by Erica and Boyd.  The call bubbled in Derek’s throat but he held back as he kneeled by the slightly younger man’s side.  He lifted Jackson’s hands to see the wounds still bubbling blood.  He removed his own shirt and pressed it over the wounds before bending low over Alex.

“Please…let this work.”

Tony Stark rounded the corner just as Derek’s eyes began glowing red and his fangs sunk into the flesh of his side.


	11. Chapter 11

“Get the fuck away from my son!”  Oh how he wished he was in his armor right now.  But wait…why was Jackson there?  And was that other boy Isaac, his son’s boyfriend?  What the hell was going on?

Derek looked up with blood stained lips before pulling away from Alex completely and brushing the blood from his lips.

“We’re friends.”

“Oh really?  Then why is my son lying in a pool of his own blood with some…whatever the hell you are…biting him!?”

“Uncle Tony, please!”  Tony was startled by Jackson’s cry.  His face softened and he noticed just how worried Jackson and the Isaac boy were.  Tony made his way to his son’s side and lifted the shirt to look at the damage done to his son’s body.  He held back a sob.

“What happened, Jackson?”

“We don’t know.  He hit the panic button so we came running.  I…we…We’re werewolves.  Isaac and Derek and I.  There are others…and there are hunters who want to kill us.  One of them kidnapped Danny and now…now he’s gone and hurt Alex.”

“Werewolves?  Like half man half wolf?  Like ‘the Wolf Man’.”

“It’s a bit different than that; but yes.  I’m Derek, and I’m the alpha.  Only the bite of an alpha can turn a human into a werewolf.  Alex was…is dying.  Isaac and Jackson…they begged me to try and save him.  Now it’s all up to Alex if he lives or dies, but we can’t leave him here Mr. Stark.  Gerard Argent or one of his hunters could come back.”

Tony nodded and bent to try and pick up his son; but he wasn’t so strong without his armor.  Instead, Derek scooped him up without any sign of strain and carried him to the SUV that Alex had driven to dinner with his father.  He got into the back with him and tossed Tony the keys.  Jackson got in the passenger side while Isaac slipped in with Derek to help hold the shirt tight against Alex’s wounds.

“I suggest driving fast Mr. Stark.”

****  
  
How was this possible?

Tony looked down at his pail son who looked so small and weak in his bed.  Tony had done his best to stitch Alex up, though Derek said that if he survived the night that the wounds would heal and the stitches would need to be removed.

Bandages were wrapped tightly around his son’s midsection.

It should be him in that bed dying.

Alex was too good of a boy for this.  And now, if he survived, he would no longer be human.

“So…mates, huh?”

Isaac blushed from the other side of Alex’s bed and Jackson shifted uncomfortably beside him.  Derek sat at the foot of the bed and simply nodded.  The four had been keeping vigil over Alex for two hours now.

“The second I first laid eyes on him…I knew that I needed to be with him.  I know I’m just a stupid kid.  I mean, I’m nothing compared to Alex…”

“Don’t say that.  He would hate you saying that.”  Tony cut Isaac off the second that Isaac called himself nothing.

“But it’s true.”

“Listen to Uncle Tony, Isaac.  It’s your father talking when you say that you’re nothing.  You mean the world to my brother.  You’re family.  So stop putting yourself down.”  He was really wishing that he had told the police about the abuse sooner…maybe then Isaac wouldn’t be so broken.

“Jackson is right, Isaac.  You’re family.  You’re a Stark in spirit and I know that you’ll also one day be a Stark in name and Starks are not nothing.”

Isaac let his head fall as he took Alex’s hand.  He could almost imagine that Alex was squeezing back faintly.

***  
  
 _Everything was white.  The ground was covered in freshly fallen snow and the sky was white with it.  Icicles hung from the barren trees and every once in a while a pile of snow would fall from the branches.  It took Alex a moment to realize that this was all going on around him. At first his confused mind had not understood what he was looking at.  Hadn’t he just been in the parking lot heading to his car?_

_Yes._

_Then he had seen Tom._

_Yes._

_Then Tom had stabbed him and left him for dead._

_Oh._

_Was this Heaven?  Had Hell frozen over?  It was so devoid of life here.  No…this was between life and death._

_Alex slowly stood, pulling himself up from snow that should have clung to his white clothes and made him wet.  He should have been cold too…he was cold…but it felt like there was warmth coming from nearby as well._

_He must have lost so much blood._

_He slowly reached down to lift up his shirt…only to see nothing; not even his flesh.  It appeared that any skin covered with these white clothes didn’t exist in this realm.  Did that mean that he was just a head and a pair of hands here?  Well that was kind of creepy._

_He let his shirt drop and looked up suddenly at the whispers rushing through the trees.  He could hear distant voices._

_“Hello?”_

_The forest looked so beautiful and he could hear music coming from it.  And was that his mother’s voice?_

_He began running towards the forest only to stutter to a halt when he heard crying coming from behind him._

_“No!  Please, don’t leave me!”_

_He turned slowly to see Isaac’s ghostly form standing on a path that led to a glowing light that hadn’t been there before.  Was this a trick?  Did the singing lead to the living world and the light lead to the afterlife?_

_“Isaac?”_

_More images appeared.  First Jackson blinked into existence, and then his father.  Then there was aunt Pepper and uncle Rhody.  Now came Derek and Stiles and Scott and Danny.  Everyone that he knew and cared about in his life was popping into existence just in front of the light._

_“Lexxy.”_

_Alex turned slowly to see his mother coming out of the forest.  She was dressed in a flowing white dress and had wings made of light coming from her back._

_“Mom?”_

_“Hello Alex.”  She reached up and touched his face.  He reached out and tried to grab her hand to hold it there but his hands simply went right through her.  “My, how you’ve grown.”_

_“Mom?  I don’t understand.  What’s happening?”_

_“Tom tried to kill you; but you are strong and the Hale boy is trying to give you more strength.  You must go to the light Alex.  You must walk away from my world and return to yours.”_

_“Why?”_

_She smiled her beautiful smile.  “For your brother.  You promised to always protect him.  For your father who would be lost and dangerous…well more dangerous…to the general population without you.  For your mate, because you are the only light in the darkness of his world.  For all of those that are here waiting for you by the light.”_

_His heart ached.  How could he have been thinking of going with his mother when he had so many people who needed him back home?_

_“When you pass through the light, follow the wolf…it will guide you home.”_

_Very suddenly, everything faded away.  The forest was silent again and only Isaac’s ghostly image remained standing just before the light._

_Alex made his way closer and hovered his hand over Isaac’s cheek before passing through him and into the light._

_Now everything was dark and he found that he couldn’t see._

_“Have I been tricked?”  He gasped as pain filled his body.  As he lifted his shirt this time; he saw that he had a stomach that was stained red.  He let his shirt fall and looked around until he saw the wolf.  It was large, standing at about the size of a small horse.  There was something familiar about it._

_“Well hello there.”_

_The wolf walked closer and sniffed at his skin before walking right through him.  Alex gasped at the sensation.  It was like he and the wolf became one._

_“Follow…the wolf…”  It was the only thing he could see in this darkness.  Alex turned slowly and began following the wolf into the darkness; trusting it to guide him home._

_***_  
  


It was almost one in the afternoon when Isaac felt Alex’s hand clearly squeeze his own.  He looked up with a gasp as Alex groaned and shifted uncomfortable in the bed.

“Alex?”

Tony snorted as he was startled awake by the first sounds in the room in hours.  Jackson nearly tripped over his own feet in his race to get up and remove Alex’s bandages to check his wounds.  Derek simply watched with tired eyes.

Jackson let out a sigh of relief when he finally got to where Derek had bitten his brother.  Alex’s skin was unblemished except for the ragged stitches that Tony had put in him to keep him from continuing to bleed out.  Jackson sat back down and let Isaac run his hands over the newly healed skin, a few of his tears dripping onto his flesh.

Alex’s body arched as he started coming awake, a sudden gasp ripping from his throat as he was thrust into full consciousness.

Tony was holding his free hand in an instant, looking at his son with unshed tears in his eyes.

“Alex?  Can you hear me, son?”

“Gah…your breath stinks.  When was the last time you brushed your teeth?”

Tony jumped back in shock and breathed into his hand to check his breath.  “Is it really that bad?”

Alex laughed softly and slowly sat up before growing alert to the fact that he felt no pain.  He looked down to see that his stomach was free of stab wounds, though there were several stitches where each had been.

The wolf…had the wolf been…him?  Had it been his wolf?

“What happened?”

“You tell us.  We showed up and you were on the ground bleeding to death.  I bit you to save your life.”

So the wolf was his then.  It had guided him up through the darkness and toward consciousness.  He squeezed Isaac’s hand for support before taking in a deep breath.

“Tom is alive.”

“Who?”  Isaac had never heard of anyone named Tom.  Tony on the other hand grew stiff.

“But he was dead.  They had me identify his body.”

“Oh, he was dead.  But he’s a mutant as well.  Advanced healing.  He came back from death.  I’m guessing that anything short of being burned to cinders or decapitation won’t do him in.  He…he blames me for Mom.  He was the one that hit me at the gravel pit and he tried to kill me again.”  He ran his fingers over the stitches; tugging at them slightly.  They were itchy.  He wanted them out.  “He’s working with Argent.”

Jackson remained quiet; lost in his own thoughts.  Tom…Tom was his father.  Tom was supposed to be dead.  Tom was alive.  Tom had tried to kill Alex.  Tom was working with Argent.  Tom…his father…was the enemy.

His life was just so fucked up.

***  
  
Alex had to fight the sick feeling in his gut as he slowly pulled out the stitches.  It was the sensation of the threads moving through his healed skin, sticking in places and pulling in ways that it shouldn’t.  He had always hated needles.  He had once even kicked a nurse when he was a little boy because she had to give him a shot.  Of course, he felt bad about that now.

Really, it was just the idea that a needle had been in his skin that gave him the queasy feeling.  Still, he picked at the stitches and pulled them with his free hand as his father cut through his cast on his now fully healed arm.  They both finished around the same time and it felt weird to suddenly no longer have the heavy cast on.  It was like his arm was pounds lighter.

He was still trying to adjust to the idea of the whole…werewolf thing.  He could smell things much better than he could before.  For example, Jackson and his father just…smelled like family; and Isaac…god…it was addictive and it took everything he had to not push the boy against the wall and burry his nose in his neck.

“I guess it’s time to face the others…the pack…my pack…our pack.”

Would he ever get used to this?  Alex stood and slowly slipped out of the bedroom that had been his sanctuary for the past hour as he took everything in.  Isaac was right behind him as they joined the others in the living room.

It was a strange sensation as Alex’s eyes flashed in recognition of the other wolves in the room.  He noticed how their eyes flashed back.

So this was his new life.

Derek had been telling the others what had happened the night before.  He had heard every single word of the conversation.  Now Derek made his way over to him and rested a hand on his shoulder.  He tried looking Derek in the eyes as he had done every time they met since their first meeting…but the wolf inside of him would not allow it.

“Damnit.”  Alex growled under his breath.  He hated knowing that he would have to submit.

“I know it sucks, but it will get easier.  This is just your wolf submitting as its acceptance into the pack.  You’ll be able to make eye contact again soon.”

This really would take some getting used to.  He was so used to only having to listen to his father; and even then his father never really asked anything of him.  Now he was part of a unit; a pack and he would be expected to submit to the alpha.

Silence reigned in the room as the connection slipped into place.  Alex submitted, and Derek accepted the submission.  Soon he removed his hand from Alex’s shoulder and stepped away; only to grow stiff with anxiety.

“What is it?”

“Someone’s coming up the drive.”

Alex walked to the door and stepped outside only to grow furious at what he found.

Tom stood there and when he saw Alex a look of shock covered his face, only to vanish an instant later.

Alex could feel the pack and his father exiting the house behind him.

“You survived.”

“I’m a Stark.  We’re damn hard to kill.”

“Yes, I’ve noticed.”  Tom’s eyes left Alex’s face to look just behind him.  His eyes lit up in recognition.  “Michael.”

Alex couldn’t stop the growl that built up in his throat.  It was only Isaac’s hand on his shoulder that kept him from shifting for the first time so soon after receiving the bite.

“Stay the hell away from him!  You hear me!?  You stay the hell away from him!”

Tom’s eyes shifted back to his step-son and he smirked.  “But I’m the boy’s father.  Every boy needs a father.”

“I don’t need a father like you.  I have David Whittemore, and I have Uncle Tony.  I don’t need you.”

Tom’s eyes grew dark.  “Oh, but I think you do.  Just think of it.  The two of us together, father and son; the way it always should have been!  We can hunt down the wicked together.  Kill this…annoying little pack of yours and then kill Gerard Argent…the old fool is getting a bit…insane.”

“I think it’s you that’s insane.”  Tony stepped forward so that he was standing in front of not only Jackson, but also Alex.

“Tony.  Long time, no see.”

“I trusted you with my son.  Do you know how hard that is?  How hard it is for a father to trust his son to another man?  And what did you do?  You disappear for seventeen years and then you try to kill him.  Try to kill _my_ son.”

“And I would have succeeded if it wasn’t for those meddling kids and their _dog_.”  The last jibe was sent at Derek who held back his growl.  If he grew overly angry; then it would make his pack angry.  He needed to keep calm to keep the situation calm.

Alex reached out as Jackson stepped in front of him.  He rested a hand on his brother’s shoulder in a show of support as he lightly pushed Tony to the side.

“You are not my father.  You just donated a bit of genetic material.  This…this is my family.”

Tom’s face grew even darker.

“You’ll regret this decision Michael.”

“It’s Jackson.  And I highly doubt that I will.”

Tom sneered before turning away and walking back down the drive where he got into the very same truck that he had used to hit Alex at the gravel pit.

**Author's Note:**

> This story ignores the events of episode 2.10 to 2.12
> 
> Also, I changed Jackson's birth father's name...because I can. His mother's name is the same though.


End file.
